Roll on Retirement
by Black666Hunter
Summary: One take on what could have happened if ICG never existed. Aloysis retred with honours and picked up a new job to support his wife and son. Rufus is still over there fighting and learning how to survive when the bullies circle. Will their friendship ever pull them back together or are they destined to be apart forever?
1. Chapter 1

After another brutal night operation, Aloysius headed for his rack, almost asleep on his feet. It wasn't only the weeks of endless missions that were wearing on him but something more well-earned but equally worrying.

'What am I gonna tell Rufus?' he uttered, entering the barracks and heading left, down the corridor. He didn't want to have to tell Rufus that he was heading home in two weeks but he knew if he kept the secret, Rufus would be devastated. Reaching his bunk, he yanked off his boots and settled his weaponry close to hand before dropping onto his bunk and crashing instantly off to sleep.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

The next morning in the mess, it was business as usual for Aloysius and Rufus. They were just minding their own business, trying to enjoy their breakfast in peace but they weren't ever quite that lucky. The other Nightstalkers were their usual troublesome selves, along with the Rangers but this time, they were holding back and leaving the trouble to the Nightstalkers.

'Boss, another nurse incoming.' Rufus uttered, nudging his best and only friend lightly.

'Move along lady, we ain't interested.' Aloysius growled, setting his coffee mug down.

'You ain't the boss of me Knight. I'll do what I please.' she replied, drawing out a chair and dropping down across from Rufus, her foot lightly drifting along his calf. Rufus shot Aloysius a panicked look, desperately trying to shake her foot away but having no luck.

'I'm not going to tell you again, move on. I don't normally hit women but you keep pushing your luck and that might just change.' Aloysius warned, getting to his feet. She just ignored him, raising her foot higher and starting to brush Rufus' thigh. Rufus looked to Aloysius again and the shorter man moved. Faster than anyone could blink, he had swept the woman off her chair and carried her across the mess before dumping her down on a table full of Nightstalkers.

'I warned you what would happen if you pressed my buttons. Leave Rufus be before I really get nasty.' he snarled, grabbing the two nearest guys and slamming their faces into their meals.

The mess fell totally silent as he released them and stepped back, eyes hard and narrow behind his amber tinted anti-flash glasses.

'Rufus, forget breakfast, run! I'll be right behind you.' Aloysius called as several pilots got to their feet. Rufus nodded and leapt to his feet, racing from the mess without a backwards glance. Knight dealt with the advancing pilots before giving chase, slipping easily away from the Rangers and charging hard towards their secret place.

Rufus was already waiting in his chopper when Aloysius dived through the open door and yanked it closed, a huge grin on his face.

'What would I do without you Boss?' the tall pilot asked, leaning back against his seat.

'You'd find your own way to survive, that's the kind of guy you are.' Aloysius replied, settling back against the co-pilot's chair.

'Doubt it, I can't fight like you do. If you left, I'd be stuffed.' Rufus sighed softly, glancing out the side window to see if they had been followed. Aloysius shifted slightly beside him, still trying to figure out the best way of telling Rufus the truth.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Aloysius reached over and grasped Rufus' shoulder lightly.

'Rufus, there's something I need to tell you. It's not easy for me to say this but you need to know.' he started, eyes locked on the floor. Rufus turned back to him and nodded, resting his hand over Aloysius'.

'What's troubling you Boss? You know you can tell me anything.' Rufus grinned as Aloysius looked up and smiled slightly.

'Yeah, I know that. This isn't getting any easier to say so I'm just going to put it out there and hope we can work through this. Rufus, my tour here is coming to a close and I'm not going to reenlist again. I'm getting too old for this game, it's time to go home before I get myself or others killed. I've been trying to figure out the best way to tell you, this probably isn't it but it's all we've got.' Aloysius offered, flipping his hand over and lightly squeezing Rufus' meaty paw.

'But…you promised me that you'd never leave my side. You swore that you would always watch my back. Please don't go; I still need you here. If you go, there's no one left to protect me, please Boss stay here with me. My tour finishes in six months, we can go home then.' Rufus implored; the fear, terror and pain showing clearly in his brown eyes.

'Our tours will never match up Rufus, I don't have enough leverage to only get six months and you don't have enough to cut yours short. We have two weeks Rufus, ample time to turn you from fearful to forceful. I will teach you how to fight and defend yourself; you will be safe then. You can do this Rufus, look inside and find your inner strength and you will find all the courage you need to protect yourself from harm and bullies. You can do this Rufus, I believe in you.' Aloysius replied, smiling warmly.

'I'll try but I doubt I'm going to be any good. You've had years to perfect your skills, I've got two weeks to learn.' Rufus started, eyes dropping to the floor.

'We can do this Rufus, you and me. Sure, it's going to be a lot of work but if anyone can do this, it's you. You're smart enough to handle the lessons, strong enough to take the punishment and brave enough to trust me to know what's best for you. We'll start small and build it up every day until you can hold your own in a fight, without fear, without panic and without me. Come on, you've trusted me this far, trust me on this as well.' Aloysius grinned, grabbing Rufus by the shoulders and giving him a light shake.

'Okay, let's do this. You've got a family to get back to. Where do we start?' Rufus grinned, locking gazes with his best friend.

'That's the spirit Rufus. Go get out of your flight suit and into something a little more free, I'll meet you in the gym.' Aloysius grinned and released his grip, watching as Rufus scrambled to his feet and jogged away, a new spring in his step.


	2. Chapter 2

Knight grinned softly as he stepped onto the mats again, watching Rufus carefully. He knew Rufus was ready for their first real sparring session without pads or protective equipment, having seen just how far Rufus had come in twelve short days. Rufus had come along in leaps and bounds, helped along by the rest of the Delta guys. They had made a deal with Knight - in return for two cases of beer a month, they had promised to keep an eye on Rufus and make sure he kept up with the training. There was one specific member of Delta that was an even greater driving force than Aloysius had ever expected. This particular soldier was someone special in Delta for she was the first and only woman in the unit. Emily had been in the army for six years before transferring across to Delta and proving she was just as good as the guys when it really mattered. Rufus was grateful for their help, knowing his time with Aloysius as his teacher was almost up.

They faced off in the middle of the mats, faint smiles on their faces.

'Focus Rufus, it's just like we've done every other time. You can do this, I believe in you.' Knight uttered before stepping back three paces and nodding. Rufus kept his eyes on Knight as he advanced, his lessons fresh in his mind. The other guys standing around watched closely as the two men circled, fists up and ready.

On some unspoken signal, they came together, feet and fists in sync. Rufus scored first, a stinging right into Knight's gut. Knight was ready though and went with it, using the momentum of that blow to power a massive blow to Rufus' shoulder.

'Higher Rufus, go for the head. There's no room to pussyfoot around when it's six on one!' Emily called as Knight dropped and spun round, clicking Rufus' ankles together and toppling the taller man.

'You won't hurt me Rufus, now fight.' Knight added, springing back to his feet and backing away. Rufus growled and shot off his back, tackling Knight to the ground and straddling the smaller man, his left hand snapping out towards Knight's head. Knight moved his head at the last second but it wasn't quite far enough as Rufus' fist slammed into his ear.

'Wow.' several guys breathed as Rufus swung again, catching Knight in the chin. Knight got his feet under him and flipped to the right, sending Rufus sprawling as he stood and brought his fists up again.

Rufus was on his feet in seconds, using his height to his advantage to slam one booted foot against Knight's shoulder and sending him flying off to the side.

'Now you're getting it.' Captain Matt Hemphill called, chuckling softly. Rufus nodded but refused to be distracted from the fight as Aloysius got back to his feet and moved in again. He went for a linebacker tackle but Rufus was ready and set his feet before lifting Aloysius up and throwing him aside again, totally immersed in the fight. Knight was a bit slower getting to his feet this time, since he had slipped off the mats and landed on the hard floor underneath.

'Take five and we'll step it up another level.' Jimmy Jackson added, tossing Rufus a towel and his canteen.

'I doubt two on one will give him too much of a challenge. See Rufus, I told you that you could handle this. I'm proud of you.' Aloysius grinned, clapping Rufus on the shoulder as they headed for a nearby bench.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

By mid afternoon, they had found the limit of Rufus' training. When the odds went above three on one, he was unable to keep them all at bay. Knight had been first to fall victim, thrown clear again and skidding off the mats. Jackson fared little better; taking a heavy kick to the shoulder that sent him flying off in the opposite direction. Hemphill and Emily were able to bring Rufus down, Emily going for his legs while Hemphill tackled him backwards.

'You did well Rufus, I'm proud of you. Even when I'm gone, these guys will keep your training up and you'll soon be brawling with the best. Come on, you've more than earned a hot shower and a long cold drink, my treat.' Knight chuckled softly, trying to ignore the bruises he was sprouting.

'Thanks for believing in me Boss, couldn't have done this without your support. Hot shower sounds good, now that I know I don't have to be afraid to relax a little more. I'll see you back at your bunkhouse in an hour.' Rufus agreed, grabbing his kit and heading out of the gym. 'Thanks to you all, really.' he added over his shoulder, dropping the group a quick wink.

'Just don't go doing anything stupid now Rufus, there's still a lot of work to be done before you're really ready for combat.' Hemphill warned, shaking his head slowly.

'I wouldn't worry about Rufus too much; he knows what's at stake here. He won't blow his one chance at freedom from the torment the other Nightstalkers heap on him.' Knight chuckled softly as he packed his gear and left the other guys to consider how they were going to keep Rufus on track with his training.


	3. Chapter 3

Aloysius took one last look around the bunkhouse that had been his home for so long.

'Can't say I'm going to miss this place but I'll sure miss the people.' he uttered, adjusting his uniform and grabbing his duffle bag. The rest of the Delta guys were waiting just outside, wanting Knight to realise just how much they were going to miss him. Rufus stood right beside the door in his cleanest flight suit. As soon as Knight stepped into the sunshine, they formed up around him with Rufus stepping up on his right hand side, right behind his shoulder.

'I'm gonna miss having you around to bail me out of trouble.' Knight grinned, knocking Rufus' shoulder lightly.

'Life gonna be slow without you around Boss, take care back home.' Rufus replied, slinging his arm around Knight's shoulders.

The D-boys all stopped a short distance back and Knight turned to them, smiling as Rufus lightly took his duffle and waited patiently for Knight to say his goodbyes.

'Be safe back home and look out for that beautiful wife and son of yours. Write when you can, we'd love to hear about how things are doing.' Matt remarked, shaking Knight's hand warmly.

'I will Matt, don't worry about me. I know how to look after myself. You just focus on watching over Rufus and keeping up with his training regime. I can't be there for him now so I'm passing his safety on to you. He's only got six months left before he comes home, and I want to hear that you've sent him home safe, alive and in one piece.' Aloysius replied with a grin as he shook everyone else's hands before turning and walking back to Rufus.

The two friends walked over to the waiting plane and stopped a short distance away. Rufus set the duffle down and rested his hands lightly on Knight's shoulders.

'Remember what I've taught you Rufus and keep your chin up. Six months will fly by and then you'll be home. I'll miss you Rufus and I'll write every chance I get. Be strong my dearest friend and don't let anyone push you around.' Aloysius started, eyes misting up behind his glasses.

'I'll miss you too Aloysius, be safe and don't do anything I wouldn't. I'll write every week, promise.' Rufus replied, not bothering to hide the tears in his eyes.

'Take care of yourself Rufus, I'll be thinking of you always.' Aloysius added, hugging the bigger man tight to him.

'You'll never be out of my thoughts.' Rufus uttered, returning the warm, friendly embrace before slowly breaking away. Knight picked up his duffle and headed to the plane, glancing back over his shoulder at the man-mountain still standing beside the runway. His feet felt like lead as he strode up the ramp and disappeared inside, pausing to look back and wave one last time. Rufus smiled sadly as he waved back, staying beside the runway until the plane was out of sight and heading home.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a beautiful sunny day as Mel busied herself with making breakfast for her loving family. Aloysius was still fast asleep, a faint smile on his face and their son, Andrew, was just finishing his homework in the study.

'Andrew, please go see if your father is ready to get up yet.' she called, packing Aloysius' coolbox and making sure he had everything for his next long haul trip.

'Okay mom. Is dads' coffee ready yet?' the little boy replied, entering the kitchen. He was in every way a mini-Aloysius, with his dark hair, brown eyes and amber tinted glasses. Aloysius had been irritated at himself when their son was diagnosed with Acute Retinal Dystrophy but now it was just another part of life for them.

'It sure is baby, here you go.' Mel grinned, handing the boy Aloysius' usual coffee mug. He nodded and headed upstairs to wake his father.

Aloysius was still fast asleep, dreaming of his friends and all that he had seen. Even after three months back home, he still thought about everything he had been through and all the horrors he had seen. Rufus appeared frequently, laughing and smiling as he worked his magic.

'Dad, time to wake up.' Andrew called, sitting the coffee down on the bedside table and climbing onto the bed. He shook his dad gently, remembering what he had been told when his father came home. Aloysius groaned softly and rolled onto his back, one hand fumbling for his glasses. Andrew lunged over and grabbed them, pressing the old glasses into his dads' hand. Knight smiled and slipped them on, eyes drifting open.

'Morning dad, coffee is on the table.' Andrew grinned, snuggling up against his dad.

'Morning Andrew, shouldn't you be getting ready for school?' he replied, sitting up and grabbing his coffee mug, right arm wrapped around Andrew's shoulders.

'I am ready dad, just waiting for you to wake up. Mom's got to go to work soon, so it's your turn to take me to school.' Andrew explained, looking up at his father's worn face.

'Of course, it's Wednesday, isn't it. Give me ten minutes and I'll be down. Has your mother packed my coolbox and gear?' Aloysius grinned, ruffling Andrew's hair quickly.

'Yes dad, everything's ready. Coolbox is filled, thermos is ready and your kit is restocked.' Andrew chuckled, grateful his father was home again.

'Okay, I'll be down shortly. You go finish packing your kit and loading everything you need into the truck.' Knight tossed his son the keys to the truck and rolled out of bed, finishing his coffee as he stretched. Andrew beamed as he took the cup and keys before racing back downstairs.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

True to his word, Aloysius came downstairs ten minutes later.

'Everything loaded up Andrew?' he asked as he entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Mel's waist.

'Yes dad, just the coolbox and my schoolbag left.' Andrew replied as he came into the kitchen, just buttoning up his shirt.

'You'd both better get going; don't want to be late. I'll pick you up after work Andrew.' Mel added, leaning back against Aloysius for a moment before breaking away and grabbing her bag.

'I should be home in a few days, if everything goes to plan that is.' Aloysius grinned as he grabbed his coolbox and ushered Andrew out the door.

'Okay, we'll see you then.' Mel replied, kissing Aloysius and Andrew quickly before getting in the car and taking off, busy as always.

'Will you bring me something from your trip dad?' Andrew asked as Aloysius locked the front door and crossed the front lawn.

'Course I will Andrew, I always do. Come on, up you get and let's hit the road.' Aloysius grinned, opening the driver's door and climbing up as Andrew scrabbled up the other side. After plugging his coolbox in and making sure Andrew had everything, he pulled out, careful of the smaller road users and headed off to school, the mighty Caterpillar engine rumbling loudly beneath their feet.

Every truck driver in Alameda recognised Aloysius' truck. With it's dark blue paint job and the Black Hawk painted on the drivers side of the cab, it made a statement wherever it went. On the passengers side of the sleeper, there were two scrolls unfurled around a rich red heart. The top scroll read Andrew and the bottom one Mel. One side of the long nose was covered in a large map of America with all Knight's trips painted on it. The other side had the American flag flying proudly and underneath it said: Freedom has a price the protected never know. Along the top of the bonnet was several lines of blood red pin striping, pooling in a wide half circle in front of the windshield. The bug guard was dark blue with Alley Kat written in white and lined with LEDs so even at night, people knew who was riding the road.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

All the kids stopped what they were doing and turned to stare as Aloysius pulled up at the school gates, the Kenworth stopping with a blast from the airbrakes. Even the teachers weren't sure what to make of the truck, totally confused by its appearance at the gates.

'Have a good day at school Andrew and I'll see you in a few days.' Aloysius called as Andrew climbed over the back of the truck and leapt down. Aloysius grinned and opened the door, climbing down and crouching.

'I'll see you in a few days dad, drive carefully and don't forget to bring me something back.' Andrew replied, hugging his father and smiling warmly.

'I'll find you something really special promise. Go on, you run along and work hard. I'll call you tonight.' Aloysius smiled softly before releasing his son and waving him away.

'Okay dad, I'll talk to you tonight. Love you.' Andrew called back, shouldering his pack and running over towards his friends. Aloysius leaned against his truck and watched his son playing happily with his friends before climbing up into the truck again.

He was just about to pull out when the principal hurried over and stopped beside the truck.

'Mr Knight, can I speak to you for a moment please?' he asked, hands behind his back.

'Sure, have to be quick though. I've got to get to work.' Aloysius replied, switching off the engine and jumping back down.

'I can understand that you and your wife are extremely busy but I have to ask, why you are dropping your son off in your truck?' Mr Hendersly explained, looking at the rig again.

'Mel's got the car today and there was no time for her to drop Andrew off first. The school is on the way to my depot so it's easy for me to drop Andrew off before I pick up a load. Look, I've really got to get going, I'm late to grab my load and hit the interstate.' Aloysius replied, reaching up and opening the door.

'Of course but please, try to avoid dropping your son off in such a disruptive manner, the children will be talking about this all day.' Hendersly added, taking a step back.

'Can't promise you anything, we've only got one car and Mel drives that most. The rig is my vehicle, the only thing I'll drive with confidence. I don't bring Andrew to school often so I'll do my best to make our time together special.' Aloysius explained before climbing up and settling in his chair, the engine roaring to life. Hendersly shook his head slowly as Knight pulled out and rumbled down the road.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus settled back on his bunk, the latest care package from home clutched tightly in his hands. Even though there was no return address written on the box, he knew exactly where it had come from and couldn't help but smile as he carefully opened it.

'Thanks for remembering Boss, no one else did.' he uttered, picking up the envelope and tearing it open.

_Dear Rufus, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I'm doing just fine; you don't need to worry about me. Mel's found work at a local law firm, handling the clients and managing the front desk. She's really loving the change of pace and has made quite a lot of new friends. Andrew is doing well at school in most subjects; unfortunately his maths isn't quite as good as all the rest of his subjects. He's a bright young boy but school doesn't really seem that interesting for him._

_As for me, I've found a new job - driving trucks of all things. It's slow compared to what we're used to doing but it's reasonable money and it never gets boring. It takes me all across the country and I never know where I'm going to be going from one trip to the next. As I'm writing to you, I'm on my way to Indianapolis with a load of diapers. Don't know what I'll be bringing back home but hopefully it'll ride better than this lot. _

_I hope your birthday isn't too rough; you deserve a chance to relax and enjoy yourself once in a while. I wish I could be there for your special day but this is the next best thing. I miss you Rufus, you are my best friend and I really do wish you safety and security for the rest of your tour._

_Be safe Rufus and don't take too many risks with your life. Hope to hear from you soon my dear friend._

_Your dearest friend,_

_Aloysius K. Knight_

Rufus smiled as he set the letter down and turned his attention to the rest of the goodies in the package. There were half a dozen of Mel's famous triple choc fudge brownie muffins, several of Rufus' favourite chocolate bars and three pictures drawn by Andrew. He set the package down on the bed and neatly tacked the pictures up on the bed above his so he could look at them whenever he was missing home and his closest friend. That done, he settled back on his bunk with a book Aloysius had sent earlier and relaxed, munching happily on one of Mel's muffins.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius sighed softly as he pulled into the depot and stopped by the office.

'You're late Knight! Shed seven for your load to Anaheim.' Bobby Goldman called, climbing up and handing Knight the needed paperwork.

'Don't panic Bobby, it'll get where it needs to be on time and without breaking the law. I had to drop Andrew off at school on my way. Have I ever let you down before?' Knight asked, leaning lightly on the window edge.

'Well, no you haven't and I know what it's like to balance family and work. I can't buy you any extra time but I can stall the receivers for a while. Hook up and get moving Aloysius, it's a long road ahead of you.' Bobby grinned and jumped down, waving Knight on.

'Doubt you'll need to fly cover for me Bobby, shouldn't be any more than a few minutes late.' Knight replied before moving off again, whistling to himself as the Kenworth pulled forward without complaint.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

That night, Aloysius pulled up at one of his favourite truck stops and jumped down, looking forward to a hot meal and a warm shower before he called his family and settled in for a snooze. Sitting in the parking lot were several tucks from his depot; Zeke and Zach Jacobson, Travis Cox, Timmy Jenkins, Johnny Petersen and Paul Sinterly were all there, their rigs a silent testament to all the work they did. He grinned and headed inside, wondering what the latest news would be.

'Evening Alley Kat, haven't seen you in these parts for a while.' Travis called from one of the tables, waving Knight over.

'Been running long hauls for the last month. Anything I should know about the road to Anaheim?' he asked, dropping down between Travis and Zeke, knocking Zeke's shoulder gently.

'There's a few bears on the interstate, looking to nab anyone they can. They caught Rebel over weight.' Zeke replied with a shrug, sipping his coffee.

'Tried their luck against us too but there was nothing they could find to fault us on.' Zach added, grinning warmly at his twin brother.

'Bears don't worry me, they know better than to bug the Alley Kat when he's on the prowl.' Knight grinned as the waitress brought him a coffee and a steak sandwich with the lot.

'How's that fine family of yours doing Al?' Timmy asked as he joined the group at the table.

'They're both doing just fine Shredder. Andrew's still no better at math but he'll get it eventually, I hope.' Aloysius shrugged and turned his full attention back to his food.

'Anything I should know about on the road back to the depot?' Paul asked, returning to the table after going to refill his coffee mug.

'Nothing to report, the road was clear and bear free when I can through. No idea what it's going to be like now.' Aloysius reported around a mouthful as Johnny joined them at the table, still cursing his rough luck.

'Would you quit complaining about that ticket Rebel, we all have our run ins with the bears. Be grateful it wasn't worse and move on.' Paul snapped, stirring his coffee again before taking a sip.

'Not everyone Snake, never known Alley Kat to have a problem with them. Wouldn't surprise me if his whole life has been perfect.' Johnny snapped back, eyes narrow behind his wire framed glasses.

'That's where you're wrong Rebel; my life has been rough and hard since I was a pimple faced seventeen year old. You want to talk about problems, try serving your country in places that no sane person would ever dream of going. Try spending ten days straight without a decent night's sleep because you don't know when the enemy is going to make a show or even if you'll be alive come morning. Try watching your best friend of four years break down and cry when you tell him that you're going home. I don't even know if he is still alive, much less what he's doing or where he's stationed. For all I know, he could be laying dead somewhere with his beloved Black Hawk and I'll never see him again. Walk a week in my shoes and then see if a ticket for an overweight load means anything.' Knight growled before finishing his coffee and getting to his feet, storming out of the truck stop and over to his truck.

The rest of the guys just watched him leave, having never known what he did for a living before he joined their crew.

'Wow, when you think about it that way, do any of our problems matter?' Zeke asked softly, staring into his coffee mug.

'I guess not. I never knew he was an soldier, much less a pilot.' Johnny replied, shaking his head slowly.

'Maybe he wasn't a pilot. He might have been an infantryman who made friends with a pilot.' Travis added with a shrug.

'I think I'm gonna turn in.' Timmy sighed and got to his feet, making his way towards the back door.

'yeah, come on Big Z, we've got a long road ahead of us.' Zach added, following Timmy outside.

Aloysius stretched out in the sleeper and grabbed his Palm Pilot from his pocket. He clicked it on and went straight to the photos folder; opening one of the few images he had of Rufus.

'I miss you more with ever passing day buddy. Fly well and come home safe, there's so much I want to show you and tell you.' he uttered, lightly tracing his fingers over the image. He had taken it three days before leaving that hellhole. There was Rufus in all his flight gear, leaning against his treasured chopper with a smile on his face. They were just about to head out on a mission and the sun was setting behind the flight line, turning the rest of the choppers in the line into nothing but shadows.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus settled his chopper down and climbed out, helping to unload the wounded men.

'You flew well Alley Cat, we'd have been screwed without you.' Captain Hemphill uttered, squeezing Rufus' shoulder affectionately.

'Any pilot could have attempted that landing Sir, doubt anyone else would have survived it though.' Rufus replied with a faint tinge of red on his cheeks.

'Exactly my point. Go on hit your rack. You've earned it this time.' Hemphill agreed before hustling after his men, leaving Rufus alone beside his bird.

'Goodnight my dear.' he whispered to his chopper before walking away, his rack calling his name in a loud voice.

Kicking off his boots and yanking off his flight suit, Rufus tumbled into bed, his eyes drawn to the small photo tacked above his head.

'I hope life is treating you well Boss, I miss you so much.' he uttered with a yawn as he tracing his fingers lightly over the image. There was Aloysius, hard at work on the weights bench in the gym. Rufus had been spotting for him that day and couldn't resist the relaxed and comfortable image Knight had portrayed. It felt like years since he had taken that photo, even if in reality it was only a few months. With that comforting image watching over him, Rufus drifted quickly off to sleep, a faint smile on his face.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

When he was calm enough, Aloysius rang his family as promised. It only rang twice before Mel picked up, her sweet voice lifting his spirits further.

'Knight household, this is Mel.' she chirped, even though she was tired.

'Hey baby, promised you I'd call. How was work?' he asked, settling back against the side of the cab and pouring himself a coffee from his thermos, still sitting beside him.

'Work was hectic as usual but I had fun. Andrew's grades have slipped even further and now his science is also struggling. What are we going to do Aloysius?' Mel sighed softly, the kettle whistling in the background.

'There's nothing more we can do Mel, we're already supporting his needs and he's enrolled in extra tuition. I'll write Rufus and see if he's got any ideas, he's a maths and physics genius. You go make yourself a cup of tea and I'll have a chat with Andrew.' Aloysius rubbed tired eyes as Mel handed the phone over.

'Hey dad how's the road trip?' Andrew asked with a grin in his voice.

'Not to bad Andrew. Mom tells me that your science grades are slipping with your maths grades.' Aloysius pushed, determined to get to the bottom of the problem.

'The teachers aren't explaining things in a way I can understand. I've been trying dad but it's really hard. They all seem to think we're real smart and can pick things up in an instant. I've asked for help but they don't seem to get that fact that it's their teaching style that trips me up, not my lack of brains.' Andrew explained, barely hiding a yawn.

'That's fair enough for a reason my boy. Tell you what; I'll write Uncle Rufus, maybe he's got some ideas that will help you with your classes. I promise I'll find you something really special in Anaheim but I think you need to turn in.' Aloysius smiled softly, listening as Andrew yawned again.

'Yeah, I think I will. Good night dad, I love you.' Andrew agreed, struggling to stay awake.

'Sleep well Andrew, I love you too.' he replied as Andrew handed the phone back and went upstairs.

'You be careful now Aloysius, we don't want to hear that you've done something silly and gotten hurt in the process.' Mel chastised, sipping on her evening cup of tea.

'You worry too much Mel; I'm a perfectly safe driver. Good night my beautiful lady, I love you.' Knight smiled softly, seeing Mel in his minds eye, curled up on the couch with her tea in one hand and the phone in the other.

'Sleep sound dearest Aloysius, I love you too. We'll see you soon.' Mel replied softly, the separations always hard on her.

'a few more days Mel, that's all. Goodbye.' he assured her, finishing his coffee and setting the travel mug on his seat.

'Bye Aloysius, we miss you.' Mel finished before the line went dead. Aloysius sighed and closed his phone before tucking it under his pillow and laying back, asleep within moments.


	5. Chapter 5

Aloysius grinned as he swung his rig into the depot and pulled up with a squeal from the airbrakes.

'Who are you and where are you from?' the yard boss called as he strode out of the office

'Alley Kat from Alameda. Bobby sent me with this load for ya.' Knight replied, jumping down and yanking on his high visibility vest before striding over to the yard boss with the paper work.

'Perfect, Bobby warned me you might be a little late, nice to see you're not. Shed nine for the drop off. The return load is in shed seventeen.' he grinned, handing over the next load of paper work.

'I'm never late for a deadline and I've never had a problem when time is running short. Know anywhere close that I can get something special for my son?' Aloysius asked, having never done this run before.

'Sure, just stick your head in and ask Suzy for one of our models, she knows what I mean.' Dave grinned and walked off to deal with a couple of guys arguing nearby.

Aloysius headed inside and looked around for Suzy, finally finding her in the staff kitchen.

'Can I help you?' she asked, setting the kettle down and turning to face him.

'Yeah, the yard boss told me to ask you for one of your models. My son wants me to bring him back something special.' Knight explained, polishing his glasses quickly.

'Ah, no problem. How old is your son?' she grinned, slipping past him and into a storeroom.

'Seven years, eight in three months.' he replied, leaning casually in the door.

'Here you go, this should be perfect for him. That'll be $11.50 for you, more if you want it wrapped.' she added as she emerged, a beautiful truck and trailer combination held lightly in her hands.

'It's perfect for him. Could you please wrap it for me.' Knight agreed, following her over to the office and watching on as she neatly wrapped the truck and set it on the counter.

'$14 for that, I hope he likes it.' she smiled softly as Knight grabbed his wallet and laid the exact money on the counter.

'Thanks Suzy, Andrew's going to love it. Better keep moving, see you later.' he grinned and carefully picked the gift up before walking back outside.

He set the present safely in one of the overhead compartments and started the truck, pulling forward slowly and navigating his way through the depot.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus barely had time to eat after coming back from one rough mission before he was sent right back out again.

'You're the only pilot with the skills to pull this one off. No one else has the balls to even attempt such a dangerous LZ.' Hemphill explained as he led a four-man team along the flight line and into the chopper.

'I'll get it done Captain you can count on me. There isn't a single LZ that I won't make an attempt at, especially when there are American lives at risk.' Rufus grinned as he yanked his helmet on and powered into the sky, wondering exactly what was waiting for him across the sea.

The guys in the back were silent as he flew, game faces on. They were all praying that their friends on the ground were alive and waiting for them.

'Fly Rufus fly, there's American lives counting on you.' Benny Thompson whispered, staring out into the rapidly falling darkness.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus reached their last known position and gently set the bird down, watching as the rescue crew raced into the building to retrieve the men. His eyes missed nothing as he waited, always wondering where the next bullet was going to come from.

'Come on guys, move it. I don't like having to sit on the ground like this.' he uttered, flicking his gaze back towards the building where the two teams were working to find each other.

'Everything will be fine Alley Cat, Hemphill will keep the two teams moving until they're all back on board the chopper. Just relax and focus on watching for the enemy, we'll be okay.' Tony Anderson replied, reaching over to squeeze Rufus' shoulder lightly.

'Yeah I know that Wheeler but I can't help but worry. I'm heading home in three months, I don't need this crap.' Rufus sighed and turned his attention back to the darkening streets around them.

It wasn't long before the two teams raced out and piled into the chopper, dragging the wounded men up with them.

'Move it Rufus, we've got everyone!' Hemphill bellowed, scrambling up even as Rufus took to the skies and powered back to the base. Tony offered Rufus a slight grin as they flew, relaxing back in his seat.

'I wouldn't relax just yet, I've got a bad feeling about this return.' Rufus warned, every muscle in his body tense.

'You've always got a bad feeling Alley Cat. Nothing's gonna go wrong.' Tony replied but he did sit up a little more in his seat, watching everything going on below and around them.

They had almost cleared the city when several insurgents raced into the streets, AK-47s spitting fire up at the rapidly departing chopper. The guys in the back started returning fire, forcing the dozen men on the ground to move for cover.

'Get us out of here Alley Cat!' Hemphill bellowed over the gunfire and rotor blades.

'I'm doing my best but something's wrong with the bird!' Rufus called back, wrestling with the controls. Benny wriggled forward a little further and peered under the chopper, his face falling when he saw the damage down there.

'We've got wires trailing outside the chopper, looks bad Alley Cat!' he announced, ducking back as another volley of gunfire flashed into the darkness.

'I'll worry about that…' Rufus roared in agony as a hot round burned through his knee, lodging behind the kneecap.

'I've got control Alley Cat.' Tony called, grabbing the controls and powering the chopper away.

'We'll both be needed to bring this wounded bird down. Someone give me a cloth and something to tie it into place. I need to stem the blood.' Rufus called, reaching behind the chair. Hemphill yanked his own over shirt off and pressed it into his hand before yanking off his belt and wrapping it around Rufus' wrist. They vanished quickly and Hemphill turned his attention back to the insurgents on the ground.

Rufus quickly refolded the shirt and wrapped it around his knee, biting back another scream of agony as he pulled it tight and wrapped the belt around several times, securing the rough field dressing into place.

'Alley Cat, I could really use your help with this!' Tony cried; face strained as he battled to keep the bird level and stable. Rufus nodded and grabbed the controls, forcing the chopper to obey his demands.

'Everyone hang on tight, this is going to be a hell of a landing!' Rufus bellowed, struggling to keep the chopper heading for home.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

The base finally came into sight and Hemphill grabbed the spare headset, slipping it on quickly.

'Alley Cat is coming in hard. The chopper is damaged, Alley Cat is wounded and so are several of the men on board. Get the medics on the move. Don't know where we're gonna land, just that we're going down!' he called, one arm looped around one of the wounded men even as he grabbed hold of Tony's chair and pressed up tight against it.

'Copy that Hemphill; we're ready for your return. Just set the bird down wherever you can reach.' the ground chief replied, his voice tense and expectant.

Rufus and Tony brought the bird around and angled towards the flight line even though the weren't sure they would make it that far. Their faces were strained and Rufus was pale as they dropped the chopper lower and braced as best the could.

'We can't hold this; we're coming down hard. Hang on tight and here we go!' Tony cried, valiantly struggling to right the craft as she slewed to the right and started to roll. Rufus forced his stick to the left too, desperate to at least land level. It wasn't to be though and they slammed to the ground right side down, the rotors biting in and throwing up great chunks of dirt. Rufus quickly cut the engine, hanging sideways in his harness and battling the darkness lurking at the corners of his vision.

Finally the chopper was still, the tail snapped clean off and laying several meters away, a second gouge line marking the final throes of its life. Tony reached over and cut the fuel before laying his hand lightly on Rufus' shoulder.

'We did it buddy, we made it down and it's all thanks to you. Alley Cat, can you hear me? Come on Alley Cat, talk to me. Damn it, Alley Cat's out for the count.' he called, releasing his harness and scrambling out as the rescue teams raced over. Tony didn't wait for help, scrambling back into the chopper and frantically trying to get Rufus' harness loose.

'Get out of there, this thing could go at any minute!' Hemphill bellowed; carrying another wounded man clear.

'Not without Alley Cat, we'd all be dead if not for him. His harness is stuck, I can't get him free.' Tony replied, yanking Rufus' belt knife and sawing at the straps. Hemphill paused for a second before racing back to the chopper and climbing in, slashing through the harness straps on the other side.

As soon as the last strap came free, Hemphill carefully dragged Rufus clear, Tony ready to help at any moment.

'Nice and steady now Tony, let's get out of here.' Hemphill uttered, slinging Rufus over his shoulders and scuttling out of the chopper and away. He didn't stop until Rufus was settled on a gurney and in the good hands of their medical team.

'Something tells me that old bird ain't gonna fly again.' Benny uttered, looking at the shattered chopper, rotors still partially buried in the dirt.

'Choppers can be replaced but we've never going to have another pilot quite like Rufus. There's no way he's going to be flying after this; command simply won't let him. When it's declared safe, we should grab him a small memory of his bird, it's the closest he's gonna get to flying after that bullet.' Matt added, shaking his head slowly.

'Already taken care of. I doubled back quickly while you were busy with Rufus. Got his helmet and a few of his favourite memories right here.' Tony replied, patting the pack resting at his feet.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius grinned as he quickly changed the CD in the player and easily navigated his way out of the city and back onto the interstate.

'Wish you were here Rufus, you'd love this way of life.' he mused, flicking his gaze to the set of photos tacked up beside the wheel. This time Rufus was in the gym, laying into one of the punching bags with a huge grin on his face. Next came a beautiful shot of Mel, fresh from the shower and ready for work. Finally, there was Andrew in his ice hockey uniform. That was had been taken at the finals the year before, right before a stunning victory over the top team.


	6. Chapter 6

Aloysius double-checked he had everything he would need for his next long haul run, all the way to Fort Worth and back.

'Don't forget your spare clothes Aloysius.' Mel called, holding up his duffle bag.

'I'll take what I can fit baby, space is always tight on this long runs.' he replied as she hurried over and handed him up the bag, watching as he stuffed what he could into all the little hiding places he had in the sleeper. The few items that were discarded were just stuffed back in the bag and returned to Mel.

'You said I could come along on your next long haul.' Andrew complained, kicking at the grass.

'If you remember son, I told you that you could come only if your grades picked up and they haven't so you don't get to come this time.' Aloysius sighed and tossed in his spare boots, slipping them into their little place behind the seat.

'They haven't fallen any lower dad, you've seen my report card.' Andrew tried, determined to not get left behind.

'They certainly haven't gotten any better either. My decision is final; you're to stay home and study with your new tutor. I don't want to hear that you've been skipping on your lessons either, especially if you want to ride along next holidays.' Aloysius replied forcefully, daring Andrew to argue with him this time.

'Yes dad, I understand. Will you still bring me something?' Andrew asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the ground.

'Those gifts are so you can show kids where I go, not as a reward for anything. It might not be anything big but I'll find you something nice. Come here and give me a hug son, I was just as uninterested in school as you are.' Aloysius smiled softly, crouching and opening his arms. Andrew nodded and raced over to his father, throwing his arms around that strong neck he knew so well.

'So why are you making me study if you hated school so much?' he asked with a slight grin.

'I've made a lot of bad choices in my life and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes. Study will give you more options than I've got.' Aloysius explained before releasing his son and turning to Mel.

'Drive safe Aloysius, we'll be waiting for your triumphant return. I love you.' she uttered, throwing her arms around him.

'I'll be just fine Mel; you know I never take any risks on the road. I love you too and will call when I can, it's going to be a long days driving.' he replied, kissing her quickly before breaking away and climbing up into the rig. With a blast of the horn, he rolled off, the mighty Cat engine purring under him.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Swinging into the depot, Knight headed straight for shed 12, and the mystery load waiting there for him. Bobby hadn't been able to tell him what the load contained, just that it was a priority for Fort Worth. From there it was a short run to Arlington to grab his return load and head on back to his family. Although the run to Fort Worth was a rush job, he could take his time heading back with his load of outdoor furniture for Redwood City.

'Hey Alley Kat, you're running a convoy this time round. We've got a new driver and they don't know the way to the Fort Worth depot.' Bobby called as Aloysius backed his Kenworth into the shed and jumped down.

'What's his name?' Knight asked, already busy linking up the trailer.

'The name is Tiffany but everyone calls me Falcon. What about you?' a young female voice replied from somewhere out the front of the truck. Aloysius shook his head in disbelief as he finished hooking up his trailer before jumping down and heading around the front.

Leaning against an immaculate Mack painted in brown, white and black, was a young woman. Wearing stained jeans and a black tee with the sleeves ripped out, she cut a powerful figure, her arms bulging with muscles as she puffed contentedly on a cigarette.

'I'm Aloysius Knight, callsign Alley Kat, spelt with a K. We don't get a lot of female drivers around this yard and the few we get don't last long. You think you can break that?' he grinned, leaning back against his own rig.

'Yep, been driving nearly fifteen years, there's nothing this yard can throw at me that I haven't already dealt with. I normally do coastal runs and a few shorter long hauls around California and Oregon. Never done a Texas run before. Interesting paint job you've got there, never known a pilot to turn his back on the air and take to the bitumen.' Falcon replied, butting out her cigarette on her boot and tossing the butt into her pocket.

'I've never been a pilot; I was in the army as an infantryman. That pilot is the original Alley Cat, spelt with a C. He and I are the greatest of friends; he's still serving though. Broke my heart to leave Alley Cat behind, he looked up to me for protection when the other pilots picked on him and made life hell for the poor guy. I taught him how to fight and protect himself but I still worry about him. What's the story with your paint job?' he explained, glancing up at the chopper painted on the drivers side of the truck.

'Had the nickname of Falcon for years so I figured my rig should match my callsign. The wings fold down the sides of the cab, the head and neck run along the nose and the tail is splayed across the back of the sleeper. This old girl has gotten me through a lot, I'm probably due for an upgrade but I couldn't dream of doing that.' she replied with a shrug, hands in her pockets.

'I'm sure you pair can find a lot to talk about it but you're on the clock. Check your lights and move out guys, it's a long road ahead of you.' Bobby called, snapping them both back to the job at hand.

'I'm ready, you already checked my lights.' Falcon replied, pushing off from her rig and jogging into shed 12. Knight shrugged and climbed into the rig, starting the engine and flicking on the right indicator. A short piercing whistle and he flicked to the left. Whistle again and he tried the brakes, earning another note. He tried the taillights and chuckled softly as he got one final whistle.

'Let's roll!' he called, easing forward and heading for the gate. Falcon leapt off the tailgate as he passed her rig and quickly climbed up, pulling into place behind him and together they hit the road.


	7. Chapter 7

Aloysius left Falcon at the Fort Worth depot after dropping his load and headed to Arlington, idly wondering why no one thought to bring the return load to Fort Worth to make things easier and quicker.

'Bureaucratic bungling, that's why my load wasn't in the easiest place for me. No point bitching I guess, just got to keep rolling and making the money.' he sighed and threw another CD in the player, feeling his mood lighten when Dieseline Dreams by Slim Dusty started playing, reminding him of his son back home.

His mind turned to Rufus again as he entered Arlington and headed for the depot there and the load waiting within. He wondered just how Rufus was doing, having not heard from him in a couple months. He just hoped nothing was wrong and that thought brought all manner of bad images back to the front of his mind. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he forced the images back down again, refusing to believe Rufus was dead until he saw that familiar face quiet in death.

'Please be okay Rufus, I couldn't bear to ever lose you. You are my golden memory in a time full of pain and fear; you are my rock just as I am yours in good times and bad. Be safe Rufus, wherever you are.' he breathed, rubbing his eyes quickly and driving on to his next destination.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus sighed as the taxi pulled up outside the Arlington truck depot and he climbed out, tossing his duffle bag onto the ground beside the taxi before struggling out, leaning lightly on his crutches.

'Thanks mate.' he added as he paid the driver and turned back to the depot. With another deep sigh, he shouldered his duffle and headed inside, looking to find a lift to Alameda and his dearest friend waiting there.

The yard boss looked up as he slowly made his way up the stairs and stopped, looking over the rigs slowly.

'What can I do for you?' he asked, coming out of the office to stand beside Rufus.

'I'm hoping you can help a war vet make it home. I need a ride back to Alameda, today if possible. I don't have the money to get a bus or plane and I'm desperate to get there as soon as I can.' Rufus explained, sinking into a nearby chair.

'There's no one in the yard heading that way at the moment but there is one heading back that way this afternoon. He's due here any minute to pick up a load of outdoor furniture for Redwood City. If he can't take you, I'll find something else. The name is Peter, can I get you anything while you wait?' he replied, smiling warmly.

'I'm Rufus, coffee would be nice, it's been a long trip. White with two thanks.' Rufus grinned back and went back to watching the rigs coming and going out of the lot. Peter nodded and walked off, checking the roster as he made the coffee, looking for anyone else heading back that direction.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius found the depot quickly and pulled in, stopping outside the office and heading inside.

'Hey there Alley Kat, I've got something special to ask of you.' Peter called, coming out from the office proper.

'Sure, ask away. I'm in no hurry to get this load on the road.' Knight replied, leaning lightly against the wall.

'There's a guy here who needs a lift to Alameda, reckon you can take him along?' Peter asked just as a familiar figure appeared in the kitchen door.

'Boss?' Rufus asked, staring at his dear friend.

'Rufus? What are you doing back early?' Aloysius asked, whirling to face the taller man.

'Medical discharge, I'll tell you the full story later.' Rufus explained, glancing quickly at Peter.

'I look forward to hearing it. You look so different without your beard. Why'd you shave it off?' Knight grinned, approaching his friend and hugging him warmly.

'Figured I should look my best for you and your family. When can we hit the road, I'm more than ready to get back to the way things used to be.' Rufus grinned right back, pulling back to look into Aloysius' eyes.

'Just as soon as we're hooked up and you're settled in your rightful place. Where's your gear?' Aloysius chuckled as Rufus pointed to a single duffle bag sitting by the door.

'These are the only civilian clothes I've got, what's in there is nothing but memories and old uniforms.' he explained as Knight picked it up and grunted at the weight.

'We'll pick you something up on the way Rufus. It's okay; I've still got my old uniform too. Come on, your chariot awaits you just outside.' Aloysius chuckled softly and headed outside, Rufus slowly bringing up the rear.

Aloysius quickly stashed Rufus' gear under the bed before opening the passenger side door and leaning out.

'Right foot on the step; let Peter support your left side. Put your left hand on the side of the door there where it says grab and give me your right hand. I'll help pull you in and Peter will push but in the end, the effort has to come from you.' Knight called, left hand reaching out to Rufus. The taller man nodded and reached up, wrapping his fingers around Aloysius' wrist and placing his right foot lightly on the step as Peter supported his left side, keeping his wounded knee weight free. With a strong heave and shove, Rufus got level with the seat and plopped down, settling back in the softness of the almost new seat. Peter handed up the crutches, which Rufus tucked neatly beside him before yanking on his seatbelt.

'Shed 18 Alley Kat, Jimmy's there if you need help. I'll have the paperwork finished by the time you get back.' Peter called before hurrying back into the office; knowing just how fast Knight could hook up a trailer.

Rufus swore that Aloysius made that Kenworth dance as they made their way to shed 18, slipping easily past other trucks and spare trailers before reaching their goal.

'Jimmy, I'll need you to check my lights!' Knight called as he backed up and listened for the clunk of the kingpin locking into the turntable.

'Be with you in a minute Alley Kat, just got to finish hooking T-Bone up.' Jimmy called back from the next shed along. Aloysius nodded and jumped down, checking the container was secured properly and safe to transport.

He was just finishing with the trailer connections when Jimmy walked in, his grey shirt covered in grease and muck.

'I swear, I'm gonna kick T-Bone's ass if he doesn't start taking better care of that truck of his. Noticed you've got a new driving buddy with you, about time you had someone to share the load.' he grinned, wiping his hands on a greasy rag tucked in his pocket.

'He's not sharing the driving, not yet anyway. He's an old friend of mine, returned from active duty.' Aloysius explained as he secured the last connection and jumped down.

'Cool, now you wanted me to check your lights so you can head, am I right?' Jimmy guessed, already heading to the far end of the trailer, a silver whistle in one hand. Aloysius just chuckled softly and climbed back into the cab, running through the familiar checklist. Four whistle blasts later; he threw the truck into gear again and pulled out, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

Peter was just finishing the paperwork as Aloysius pulled up outside the office and leant out the window with a grin.

'Come on Peter, doesn't take that long to fill out a few forms.' he teased as Peter came out and passed Knight the documents.

'We're not all speed demons like you Alley Kat. Go on, get your friend home and try to avoid jostling him around too much.' Peter chuckled as Knight stashed the papers in the central console and headed out with a blast from the airbrakes.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus dozed off in the chair as the Kenworth ate up the miles with a steady rumble.

'I'll watch out for you again Rufus, it's the least I can do.' he uttered, glancing over at Rufus again before turning the CD player down and shoving in another CD. These long hauls were always the worst, mile upon mile, hour upon hour of interstates and traffic. Some times it was a struggle to stay awake but he had plans for the future, plans that involved him getting a lot more practice on bitumen roads before he even attempted it.

Rufus snorted as he slowly awoke, rubbing his eyes lightly.

'How long have I been asleep?' he asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.

'Three hours, we're just about to pull up for fuel and supplies. I need to stretch my legs too, it's gonna be another few hours before we pull up for the night.' Aloysius replied, swinging off and pulling into the truck stop.

'Great, I need a leak and something to eat.' Rufus grinned as Aloysius stopped beside the pumps and jumped down, heading around to the other side.

Rufus had already opened the door and set his crutches down.

'You need a hand there Rufus?' he asked, standing off to the side.

'Nah, I've got to learn to do this for myself eventually.' Rufus replied, spinning out of the chair and gently climbing down, always careful of his bad knee. He landed lightly and grabbed his left crutch only, tossing the right back into the rig and closing the door.

'Nicely done, I'll go fuel the rig if you wanna go inside, toilets are up the back.' Aloysius chuckled and climbed up on the back, making short work of the fuel cap before climbing over and opening the other side.

'I can wait a little longer, I can see I've got a lot to learn so I might as well get started.' Rufus chuckled as he hobbled around to the other side and grabbed the hose Aloysius pointed at and passed it over, leaning lightly against the rig.

'Fair enough, toss this is the cab will you, don't need it again until we get to Redwood City.' Aloysius replied, yanking off his over shirt and high visibility vest and passing them to Rufus. The taller man nodded and opened the door, tossing them up and over the seat.

Aloysius was just climbing over to fill the other tank when a familiar blue and white Freightliner pulled up next to them.

'Where ya running Snake?' Aloysius called, crouching on the tank and grinning.

'Dallas to Anaheim with a load of mattresses. What about you Alley Kat?' Paul replied, jumping down and uncapping the first tank.

'Arlington to Redwood City with outdoor furniture. Heard about the new driver at the depot?' Aloysius replied as Rufus hobbled up behind him.

'Nope, what's he like?' Paul asked, climbing up to sit on the tank.

'It's actually a she, Tiffany. Her callsign is Falcon, you can't miss her rig, and it's painted up just like her namesake. She's been driving fifteen years and is pretty confident we're not going to be too much for her to handle. She's used to doing costal runs, mainly California and Oregon. Bobby had me show her the way to Fort Worth since it was her first time heading to Texas.' Aloysius explained, scuffing his boot as he finished fuelling up. Rufus hobbled around the truck and took the hose back, returning it to the holder as Aloysius sealed the tank again.

'I see you've got a co-driver now. Good for you, lighten the load a little.' Paul grinned, looking Rufus over quickly.

'He's not driving yet; he just got home from active service. This here is the original Alley Cat, the reason for the mural on my rig and my callsign. Come on Rufus, let's get this paid for, grab some supplies and hit the road. It's a long way home.' Knight chuckled softly and followed Rufus inside, wondering why everyone was so interested in his workload.

Aloysius remembered all the things Rufus loved and while he was in the bathroom, Aloysius busied himself finding all those old favourites and tossing them in a basket. Chocolate bars and chips, soft drink and lollies, anything and everything he remembered Rufus ever saying he liked or enjoyed. He payed for the diesel with the work card then went back to scanning the shelves, throwing in a few of his own favourites before pausing in front of the CD stand and flicking through.

That was exactly where Rufus found him when he came out of the bathroom and hobbled over.

'Didn't want to grab you a cap and glasses until you were back here. Don't worry about price, I've still got a fair bit of accumulated pay left.' Aloysius grinned, finding a couple of good CDs and adding them to the basket. Rufus grinned and made his way over to the hats, looking through until he found one in a rich red with the Kenworth logo on the front. Then he grabbed a nice pair of white-framed sunnies with blue lenses and headed back to Knight, still flicking through the CD display.

With the last of their supplies stacked in the basket, Rufus wandered over to have a look at the magazines, finding several trucking ones that he grabbed before joining Aloysius at the counter. The clerk just grinned as he scanned everything and accepted the second credit card that Aloysius offered.

'Got a long trip ahead of you guys?' he asked, bagging everything up neatly before swiping the card.

'Yeah, back to Redwood City and then Alameda. Leave the hat and glasses out, we'll need those straight away.' Aloysius replied; grabbing the two items and passing them back to Rufus before signing the receipt and gathering up the bags.

They returned to the truck and stacked everything out of the way before Rufus climbed up, already getting better at getting up into the rig without straining his bad knee.

'Where'd those hot chips go?' Aloysius uttered, flicking through the bags.

'Here they are.' Rufus replied, laying out a white paper bundle between them. Aloysius nodded and shoved the rest of the bags behind his chair before tearing the package open and starting the engine. Rufus adjusted his baseball cap and settled it on his head and slipped his glasses on before starting on the chips as the Kenworth shuddered to life and rolled off again.

They ate and drove in silence for a while before Aloysius looked over at Rufus quickly.

'Now, what the hell happened back in Yemen?' he asked, grabbing some chips and turning his gaze back to the road.

'A four-man Delta team was holed up in a badly damaged building and I was sent in with a second four-man team to get them out. The landing and recovery of the troops went without a hitch but as we cleared the city, a dozen insurgents came racing out of the buildings and opened fire of us. Several shots tore through the belly and ripped wires loose, giving us a load of new problems. A single shot came through the Perspex in my door and slammed into the side of my knee, lodging behind the kneecap. Captain Hemphill gave me his over shirt and belt to use as a field dressing until we landed the chopper or died trying. When we got over the base, my bird started rolling to the right and there was nothing Tony or I could do to right it again. We hit the deck hard and gouged huge clods of dirt out of the ground with the rotors. The tail snapped clean off and left its own set of gouge marks on the ground a few meters away. I shut the engine off and was reaching for the fuel lines when I passed out.' Rufus explained, grabbing a bottle of coke from a different bag and drinking deep.

'Damn you're lucky Rufus, was anyone killed in the crash? I'm guessing someone told you what happened next.' Aloysius shook his head in wonder; amazed Rufus was here to tell the tale.

'Yeah, Captain Hemphill and Tony filled me in on the rest of the details and no; no one was killed in the incident. Eight soldiers and two pilots in that bird and we're all still around. Tony cut the fuel lines and got out before coming to my aid but my harness was jammed. Hemphill tried to get him to leave me but Tony refused so Hemphill came back for me. They cut my harness free and carried me to safety. Tony even went back and grabbed a few souvenirs of the crash and my prowess as a pilot. Spent a week at the nearest field hospital before I was shipped the Germany for treatment and recovery. After completing three weeks of physio I decided it was time and discharged myself, caught the next flight home and landed in Arlington. Caught a taxi from the airport to the depot and the rest of the story you know. I can't have been at the depot any more than an hour before you pulled up.' Rufus chuckled softly and relaxed back in the chair, relieved to be back beside Aloysius, where he belonged.

'When we get home, we'll head over to the VA hospital in Alameda, you've got some more physio to do. Don't worry Rufus, I've got some time off owed so I'll be right there with you every step of the way.' Aloysius added, flicking the lights on and lighting up the road in front of them.

Rufus looked over at Aloysius and marvelled at the transformation that his best friend had undergone. With his travel mug sitting beside him and his eyes glued to the road, he looked like he'd been driving for years, not just a few months. Rufus found his gaze drawn to the tattoo on Knight's bare shoulder and smiled. There was a familiar chopper, rotor blades whirling as he went soaring down with a load of troops. Underneath was a simple scroll with Alley Cat written within it.

'Nice tat there Boss, thanks for remembering the real me.' he grinned, dropping a quick wink.

'It's not the only one I've got. In the central console you'll find my palm pilot. Go into the images folder and then into tattoos. You're family Rufus, this was my way of keeping all my family close to me.' Aloysius replied, returning the grin. Rufus opened the console and grabbed out the device, clicking it on and flicking through to the mentioned folder.

Apart from the chopper on his left shoulder, there was a red heart on his chest with Mel and Andrew written inside. Three strands of barbed wire ran around his right arm and it looked almost like the wire had shredded his skin, leaving chunks hanging loose. Between his shoulder blades was a realistic looking image of Rufus, leaning against his chopper in the fading light. Another scroll arced above that image, Rufus - my friend and my guardian angel - Alley Cat.

'Wow, this one on your back is really good, thank you.' Rufus smiled, switching the palm pilot off and returning it to the central console.

'That was the first one I had done. Did the whole thing in one sitting two weeks after I got home. It was my way of remembering you and your place, watching my back and the backs of every other soldier on that base. The chopper made sense, you and that bird was Alley Cat together, we called for Alley Cat and we always got both. The barbed wire is a memorial to all those still fighting and living behind the barbed wire borders of military bases around the world. Last but by no means least, Mel and Andrew are my life now so they deserved to be visible to anyone who saw me at the depot, working my butt off to keep this girl up to standards and working hard.' Aloysius explained with a shrug, light fingers tracing over the heart on his chest. Rufus nodded and settled back in the chair again, just watching the last rays of the sun disappear below the horizon.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius pulled into another truck stop several hours later and joined the rest of the rigs already lined up out the back.

'It'll take some getting used to sleeping at truck stops but I know you'll get the hang of it with a little practise. Just relax and let the sounds wash over you, like we used to do on base. You still hungry?' Aloysius grinned, cutting the driving lights and flicking on the cab lights.

'Yeah, I am a little hungry still. Hey look, there's a McDonalds here.' Rufus replied, eyes lighting up.

'Okay, we'll have maccas tonight, my treat. Welcome to the truckies way of life, fast food, big rigs and long days.' Aloysius agreed, switching off the cab lights and jumping down, waiting patiently as Rufus climbed down before they wandered over to maccas.

The place was crazy busy as they entered and joined the queue.

'Maccas is obviously a favourite with the drivers.' Rufus uttered, looking around slowly.

'Yeah, it's quick and easy so we tend to like it. Truck stops can take a while to get the food out, even though the food is generally better for us. Places like this are havens of information for the road ahead but we don't need to ask tonight, we'll deal with that in the morning.' Aloysius explained with a grin as they slowly made their way to the counter.

With food in hand, they battled their way back outside and secured a table in the corner where they could put their backs to the wall and watch everyone around them. All around them, guys were laughing and swearing, joking and relaxing together.

'Fancy running into you here Alley Kat, thought you'd gotten rid of me, didn't you.' Falcon chuckled as she joined them at the table.

'Hey, Bobby only told me I had to show you the way, not play convoy back home as well. You still need a guide, find someone else running back to Alameda. I've got my hands full bringing my driving buddy back up to speed.' Aloysius replied, already fed up with having this woman tagging along with him.

'Not heading back to Alameda, got a run to Anaheim first and then homeward bound. You don't like me do you?' she grinned, turning her gaze to Rufus.

'Let's just say we haven't had a lot of luck with women who think they can drive with us. It's no fault of ours that they don't last, the women just can't hack it. We have a reputation as the best drivers in the country and we don't appreciate anyone who wants to get in the way of us getting our loads where they need to be on time and without problem. You screw up and we all pay the price for your mistake. Fifteen years driving experience counts for nothing unless you've spent that time driving for Bobby Goldman and his crew. I've got his trust because I've never given him any grief with a load and the bears don't touch me. When you've got a track record like that, you'll be accepted a little more by the guys.' he retorted, eyes hard behind his glasses.

'We'll just see who stays and who goes. I'll be watching you Aloysius, watching and waiting for you to screw up so I can swoop in and steal glory out from under you.' she growled before rising and storming away.

'Was that necessary Boss?' Rufus asked when she was gone.

'Yeah, it was. No woman has ever survived long with us and I don't want her getting cocky and thinking she can take top spot from me. I've never dropped a load, never had a problem with the bears and never been late to deliver my loads. There's a lot of guys that have been driving for longer than me with track records as long as their trucks. Dropped loads, late arrivals, and overload tickets, the works. Bobby only keeps them on because they're reasonable drivers, he keeps me because I've got the rare gift of a master driver.' he replied with a shrug, munching happily on his fries.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus was struggling to stay awake as they returned to the truck and climbed up.

'You take the sleeper Rufus, I'll be okay.' Knight added as he grabbed his phone and settled back in his seat.

'You sure Boss? I'm happy to sleep in my seat again.' Rufus replied, looking up from where he was unlacing his boots.

'Yeah Rufus, I'm sure. I've crashed on the floor behind the seats before and probably will for a while to come. When I get the finances up and find someone reputable, I'll extend the sleeper so there's room for us both in comfort.' Aloysius grinned and flicked his phone open, smiling at the family photo looking back at him.

'Well, okay.' Rufus agreed and carefully swung his frame up and onto the raised section between the seats and the sleeper. With a soft groan, he clambered onto the bed and lay down, bundling his shirt up with Knight's high visibility vest and tucking the wad under his knee. Aloysius settled back beside the low step and reached down on the inside, coming up with a blanket that he always kept there.

'Some nights I'm just too tired to get into bed proper so I crash right here. It night not be as soft or comfortable but I'll manage.' he chuckled softly and wadded up his spare jacket for a pillow.

'Just like those times I used to sleep in the hold of my bird, ready for action at a second's notice.' Rufus chuckled softly, remembering all the times had had done just that.

'I was supposed to ring Mel tonight but it can wait, I'm too tired.' Aloysius yawned, even as he typed out a quick text message and sent it out before closing his phone and tossing it into the little locker behind the seat. He shoved his pillow over the top and lay back, flicking off the cab lights before snuggling down.

'Night Rufus, sleep well.' he uttered, setting his glasses safely beside his pillow.

'Night Boss.' Rufus replied sleepily. He was so tired he doubted that the engine noises from outside would worry him one bit.

With faint smile on their faces, the two men were soon fast asleep, dreaming of all the new adventures coming their way.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus woke slowly to the warm sun shining in through the windows above his head. He groaned and sat up, quickly adjusting his knee support before moving forward and returning to his seat. He was just settling in when the driver side door opened and Knight climbed up, coffee and breakfast in his hand.

'Morning Rufus, sleep well?' he asked, setting the bag down and handing Rufus his new travel mug.

'Like a log, you?' Rufus grinned, inhaling the smell of warm coffee even as Knight passed him a polystyrene box.

'Pretty good, Mel rang earlier too. Andrew's pretty upset I haven't got him anything but they don't know you're coming home to stay with us. Told her we should clean that room out in case someone comes to stay and she said she'd get onto it this afternoon after work.' he grinned and settled on the carpeted area that had been his bed before opening his breakfast and tucking in. Rufus chuckled softly and set his mug down, cracking open his own box to find a bacon and egg sandwich with chips and salad.

'How you stay in shape eating like this, I'll never know.' the taller man mused before settling down to eat.

Knight finished first and tossed the rubbish into the bag between the seats before climbing back into the driver's seat and starting the engine with a roar. With a slight shudder and a blast from the horn, he pulled out and hit the interstate again. Rufus smiled softly as he watched Aloysius grab one of their new CDs and rip the plastic cover off with his teeth before opening the case and slipping it into the player.

'I see what Bobby meant by master driver.' Rufus teased, finishing his breakfast and dropping his trash into the bin.

'Changing CDs is easy, my biggest vice is a little more complex.' Aloysius winked and dug a leather case out of the pouch beside his chair. As Rufus watched on in amazement, Aloysius rolled himself a smoke and lit it with a familiar Zippo.

'Since when Boss?' he asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

'Picked this habit up within weeks of coming home. It's a stress reliever and keeps me focused on the job at hand. A lot's changed since I left the army and there's probably still a lot of changes I'm yet to find.' Aloysius shrugged, rolling his window down slightly and flicking the ash out.

'The doctors told me to take it up as a form of pain relief, gotta say, it works for me.' Rufus chuckled and dug a battered Marlborough pack from the pocket of his jacket.

'Heard about that side of them, never tried it myself though. If it works for you, I'm not going to argue, just glad you're not constantly relying on drugs.' Aloysius allowed with a shrug.


	8. Chapter 8

After dropping off their load of tires at the depot, Knight turned the truck for home and a much needed shower. Bobby had been completely understanding of the situation and had agreed to giving Knight a month off so he could make sure Rufus was ready for work and capable of dealing with anything work threw their way.

'The bitumen can be a fickle mistress but I couldn't see my life revolving around a desk job. This is my place now, ready to defend my rig and my load with force if necessary.' Knight sighed and reached down beside his seat to the familiar weapon resting right where it always was. Rufus couldn't believe that his best friend had an H&K USP with him in the rig.

'What do you need that for?' he asked, shaking his head slowly.

'There's been a few guys hijacked and I'm not going to be one of them. This rig is my livelihood and I'm not going to let anyone take her away from me.' Knight explained, returning the weapon to its holster as he pulled up beside the house and cut the engine.

Andrew raced out the side door with a huge grin on his face.

'Dad's home.' he called as Aloysius jumped down and scooped his son into his arms.

'Hey there sport, I've got you something really special this time. You just wait right here and I'll get it from the truck.' Aloysius grinned and returned to the truck, disappearing around to where Rufus was just climbing down.

'Are you sure this is gonna work Boss?' he asked, grabbing both crutches and settling himself.

'Yeah, it'll work buddy. Just remember what I told you and you'll be fine.' Aloysius replied, climbing up and grabbing Rufus' gear before jumping down.

'Okay Aloysius, I trust you.' Rufus grinned and made his way around the truck.

Mel joined Andrew on the lawn as the pair emerged, smiling and joking.

'Andrew, Mel, this is my friend Rufus. He's come to stay with us for as long as he needs until he's comfortable and ready to find a place of his own.' Aloysius called, resting his free hand lightly on Rufus' shoulder.

'There's no pressure Rufus, you don't have to get a place of your own if you don't want. You're welcome here.' Mel added with a warm smile as she approached.

'Thank you very much Mel, that means a lot to me. Hello Andrew, your father has told me a lot about you.' Rufus replied with a grin, turning his attention to the young boy.

'Hi Uncle Rufus, it's nice to finally meet you. Dad's told us quite a few stories about your skills in a chopper.' Andrew smiled softly and walked over, offering Rufus his hand. Rufus adjusted his weight and shook Andrew's hand quickly.

'Hit the shower Aloysius, I can smell you from here. The spare room is cleared and ready for Rufus to move straight in.' Mel broke in, holding her nose.

'She's always like this, you'll get used to it. Andrew can show you to your room while I go get cleaned up.' Aloysius chuckled and headed around the back to the laundry door as Rufus grabbed his duffle and settled it on his back before following Andrew and Mel into the house.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius emerged from the shower a good hour later and headed upstairs in his old dressing gown. He caught a quick glimpse of Rufus and Andrew chatting happily in the living room, laughing and having fun.

'Your father tells me you're not doing so good at school.' Rufus said gently, looking down at where Andrew was stretched out on the floor.

'Yeah, I'm struggling with maths and science. The teachers aren't explaining stuff in a way I can understand. Dad said you might be able to help me.' Andrew replied, averting his gaze quickly.

'I think I can do that. Go get your books and lets see what the problem is. Maths and science were always my favourite subjects.' Rufus grinned as Andrew scrambled to his feet and vanished upstairs.

'I've never seen Andrew move that fast unless he's playing ice hockey. What'd you tell him?' Mel asked, setting the coffee down on the table.

'I told him I'd help him with his maths and science homework. His bane subjects are my best so I should be able to help him really step up in his classes.' Rufus replied with a shrug as Aloysius joined the group, sinking into his favourite chair.

'Here you go Uncle Rufus.' Andrew called as he handed Rufus his schoolbooks before settling down beside the taller man, eager to learn from someone who actually cared about his grades and his style of learning.


	9. Chapter 9

Aloysius grinned as he tossed the last of his gear into the expanded sleeper and secured it, ready for another long trip, this time all the way to San Antonio.

'Come on Rufus, let's get moving!' he called, leaning in the door as Rufus emerged from the house with his fiancée, Emily Anderson. She was a teacher at Andrew's school and couldn't have been happier to be engaged to a man like Rufus.

'Keep your shirt on Aloysius; Mel want's you inside anyway. Anna needs to be changed and since we haven't gone, it's your job.' Rufus replied, squeezing Emily lightly around the waist.

'You did that on purpose. Thank you.' Aloysius grinned and headed back inside at a light jog, totally head over heels with his baby girl. She was completely clear of the ARD that plagued her brother and father, a fact that Aloysius was eternally grateful for.

Rufus settled on the porch swing happily, Emily curling up beside him.

'Wish you didn't have to go again. I always miss you so much.' she uttered, snuggling closer.

'I promised you the wedding of your dreams and that's exactly what my little lady is gonna get. Can't give you that if I don't work and get the money settled. You knew what you were gettin' into when you said yes.' he replied, pressing a soft kiss to her hair.

'I know but couldn't you just run short hauls so you'd be home more often. I hate saying goodbye whenever you hit the road again.' she added, looking up at him.

'Short hauls aren't worth as much. The money I'll get for this long haul to San Antonio will be a huge boost to the wedding fund but if I just did short runs, it'd take years to get enough. I know you hate it when I hit the road but no one will hire me to fly so I've got to make do with what I've got available. You know perfectly well that I've already tried for every pilot job that has come up in the entire state but those medicals always catch me out. You don't have to worry about me darling, I know what I'm doing. Aloysius has taught me how to drive so there's nothing for you to fear, I can drive and drive well.' he assured her as Aloysius came back outside, his baby girl in his arms.

'Ready to go now Rufus?' he asked, smiling down at the little angel before placing her lightly in Mel's arms.

'Yeah, let's hit the bitumen and make the big dollars. Love you baby girl, I'll be home before you know it.' he replied, kissing Emily again before rising and heading for the truck. Although he still had a severe limp and would for the rest of his life, he refused to ever let it stop him or slow him down. Against doctor's orders, he'd refused the walking stick as well, claiming that he was too young to need anything like that. Even Aloysius had tried to change his mind, he had always had that stubborn streak and so everyone had just left him be but they were ready to catch him if he stumbled.

'I'll take care of him; don't worry about a thing. You be good for your mother and Aunt now Andrew and help look after your sister.' Aloysius grinned and hugged his son quickly before kissing Mel and hurrying after Rufus. With a blast of the horn, they pulled out and headed off to work again.

Rufus sat tall in the driver's seat, singing along to the trucking CD in the player.

'Told you that you'd be a natural behind the wheel. Given any more thought to what I mentioned to you last night?' Knight grinned as Rufus looked at him quickly and teasingly flipped him the bird.

'I've had a good teacher, that's all. As for tackling that road up north, I think we should go for it. We've got the skills and had the practise of bitumen and dirt, so yeah, let's tackle the ice road.' Rufus replied, settled back in his chair.

'I was hoping you'd say that. I've got the paperwork right here, all we gotta do is pick who's going to be listed first and who's the co-driver.' Knight chuckled softly, holding up several forms.

'Your name is on the registration as the main driver so I'll sit co-driver. I haven't had as much practise as you either so I probably won't take too many loads up the road.' Rufus replied, neatly handling the corner and entered the yard.

'Done deal. Now all we've got to do is clear the time off with Bobby and we're on the way to Yellowknife to run the famous ice road. I'll get Sally to send this off with the afternoon post. You just need to sign beside my name.' Aloysius grinned and handed Rufus the paperwork before jumping down and heading into the office.

'I know you're not going to be happy with me doing this Emily but this is something I've got to do.' he uttered as he braced the forms on the wheel and signed away.

Bobby and Aloysius were still deep in debate when he walked in with the completed paperwork and set it all on the desk.

'You're in on this as well Rufus? Damn, I'm losing all my good drivers to that road.' Bobby sighed and flipped through his calendar, finding the rough times for the running of the ice road.

'There's no promise we'll do this more than once, it's just something we've both wanted to try for a while.' Rufus explained with a shrug as Aloysius gathered up the paperwork and slipped it all into the envelope, along with the references from Bobby and Peter from Arlington along with several from the guys in the depot.

'Okay, I should be able to shuffle everyone one around so there will be a minimal fuss for the rest of the crew. If you decide to do this again, please let me know even earlier than this. It's not easy to shuffle everyone else around so you can get two months off. Shed 2 for your load to San Antonio and please, don't tell anyone else what you're up to. I've got enough trouble without even more drivers deciding they want to tackle that monster.' Bobby sighed and rubbed his eyes, already onto the rearranging and calling on stand down drivers. Aloysius and Rufus both nodded before slipping out, the paperwork still clutched tightly in Aloysius' hand.

'I think we'll personally drop this off to the post office, remove the temptation for Bobby.' he uttered as they climbed in and headed for the shed and their load of rodeo barrels.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

They had just crossed into Nevada when a familiar rig turned on behind them.

'You're a tenacious little thing, hey Falcon.' Rufus called over the UHF.

'You ain't seen the half of it yet Alley Kat, I'll beat you to San Antonio and back. Your time as top driver is over.' she replied, her voice full of hatred and anger. Rufus quickly pulled over and swapped sides with Aloysius, planning to shock this cocky woman and keep their top place. Falcon pulled ahead and thundered down the road but Aloysius stayed right with her, catching her easily on the next wide curve and flying past her.

'Don't get cocky Falcon, this is my run.' Aloysius snarled, downshifting and catching the tight curve easily.

'You're too old for the real work Alley Kat, move over and let the new generation of drivers take over. Reliability don't matter anymore, speed does.' she replied, coming up on the outside and racing past them.

'We'll catch her on the noose.' Aloysius uttered to Rufus, referring to a stunning series of sharp curves and steep inclines.

'Just as long as she don't catch us back.' Rufus replied with a shrug, eyes glued to the shipping container Falcon was hauling.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

They didn't need to wait for the noose because as they hit a nice, smooth left turn Falcon's load shifted slightly and overbalanced to the right, sending the truck over with it. Aloysius slammed on the brakes and jumped down, racing towards the wreckage with Rufus right behind him.

'Rufus, dial 911. I'll check on Falcon.' Knight called, scrambling over the spilled and shattered toilets to reach the cab. He struggled to find hand holds on the roof and nose of the truck but finally he got to the door and yanked it open. Tiffany was slumped in her seat, head resting on the wheel.

'Falcon, can you hear me?' he asked, reaching in and levering her backwards, pressing her lightly back against her seat. She groaned softly and cracked her eyes open, blinking slowly.

'Alley Kat?' she asked weakly, grabbing the wheel with white knuckles.

'Yeah, we're here Tiffany. Nice and easy now, Rufus is calling for help. Just relax, we'll get you out of here.' he replied, adjusting his grasp and holding her steady in the seat.

'Please, you've got to get me out now. I'm with child.' she ground out, grabbing his hand and looking up at him.

'I'm not strong enough to pull you out on my own and Rufus can't get up here. Just be patient Tiffany, help will be here soon.' he soothed, giving her an encouraging grin.

'You don't understand. This could be the only child I ever carry; we have no contingency plans if I lose this child. Please, give me a chance to retire with a family.' she implored him, her blue eyes boring into his very soul.

'I'll try but there's no promise I'll be able to help you. Rufus, I need your help here. We need to get Falcon out and laying on the ground, she's pregnant.' he called, bracing his feet and leaning further into the cab. Rufus nodded and hurried over as best he could before coming around the front and laying his boot into the windshield.

Thankfully it gave with the third blow and he was able to clamber into the cab, feet braced on the passenger seat

'Lower her down, the window is the easier path out.' he instructed, putting his left shoulder in hard against the side of the cab and reaching up. Aloysius nodded and supported her as Rufus released the seatbelt and eased her down. Knight kept a firm grip on her hands until she was settled on the ground. He quickly climbed down as Rufus guided Tiffany out the window and settled her in the shade of her trashed Mack.

'Thank you so much. This child is my life, more so than my driving and everything else my life has been built around.' she uttered, resting back against the bonnet with her hands resting on her swollen belly. Aloysius ran back to their own rig and pulled forward a little more.

'Rufus, away from the Mack, in case anything else goes wrong. The Kenworth will at least provide some protection.' he called, jumping down and hurrying back to them. Rufus nodded and carefully supported Tiffany as they rose and hustled back to the Kenworth and sunk down on the far side, safe for the moment.

Rufus left Aloysius to watch over Tiffany and hobbled down the road to warm oncoming traffic of the accident and to look out for the paramedics and the rest of the help that was hopefully getting extremely close. He almost cheered with joy when the police pulled up beside him.

'You know anything about this truck rollover that was phoned in?' he asked, leaning on the window.

'Yeah, I was the one who called it in. The trucks are just up over the ridge, mind if I catch a lift?' Rufus replied, his bad knee throbbing painfully.

'Yeah, hop in the back. What else can you tell me about the incident?' the officer grinned as Rufus climbed in, rubbing his knee briskly.

'Falcon's load shifted as she took a left curve and over she went. We were right behind her and watched the accident. We've managed to get Falcon out of her trashed Mack and settled in the shade of our Kenworth. My driving partner is with her now, trying to keep her calm. We wouldn't have pulled her from the wreck but she's pregnant and was desperate.' Rufus explained, settling back and trying to control the pain.

'You did the right thing, human life is our priority.' the officer grinned and pulled up between the rigs, the rest of the emergency vehicles pulling up around the two rigs.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

It was another several hours before the road was cleared and the traffic could flow freely again. Bobby had been extremely steamed when Aloysius had explained the lost load and Tiffany's stupid attempt at taking the top spot.

'Come on Aloysius, we've got to move!' Rufus called, settling in the driver's seat again.

'Yeah, I'm coming.' he replied, patting Tiffany's shoulder one last time before racing back to the Kenworth and climbing up. With a light toot from the horn, Rufus pulled into the flow of traffic and went back to work.

They were silent for a while until Rufus turned to look at Aloysius quickly.

'Do you think we were too hard on Falcon?' he asked, slamming his gaze back to the road ahead of them.

'In the grand scheme of the business, no. We all have a job to do and even though we don't have the years of experience some of the other drivers from our yard have, we are reliable, dependable and we don't make stupid mistakes like she did. Have you ever known me to risk a rollover just to beat someone else to the final destination? Come on Rufus, forget about Falcon and focus on the road and our future. She made her choice and we've made ours.' Knight replied with a slight smile as he reached over and lightly squeezed Rufus' shoulder.

'Still, we were kinda at fault for her rollover. If we hadn't been racing, she wouldn't have missed the signs that her load was moving. Aren't we partially responsible? I mean, we could have just let her take the lead and then claimed it back at a later date.' Rufus pushed, refusing to let the matter drop.

'This game is naturally competitive Rufus and if we slip to one, everyone will think they can take us on and win. I'm proud to be top driver and you should be too, it takes real skill to hold that title for as long as we have. We never got the chance to revel in our glory back in the day so why not do it mow. We've earned that spot and no one has a right to try and take it, no matter how many years of experience they have. Don't think about her too much Rufus, it's not our fault she didn't check that the load was secured properly and balanced to prevent any problems. We always double check our loads which is why we've never had a problem.' Aloysius sighed, rubbing his eyes quickly.

'I guess, still can't help but feel sorry for her though.' Rufus replied, shooting Aloysius a quick grin before turning back to the road and changing the CD again.


	10. Chapter 10

Emily had agreed to let Rufus run the ice road with Aloysius, provided he put that little gold band on her finger first. Even though the budget wasn't quite what Rufus would have liked, the wedding was soon planned and everything was ready. The garden between their two houses was done up beautifully, white satin hanging in great sweeps across the grass and over the rows of chairs. Rufus' entire family had come all the way from Texas to be there, bringing a few of his prized possessions with them for the house. Emily's family had also made the trip from Idaho for the big day, a few special items with them.

Aloysius grinned as he slipped into Rufus' office, looking amazing in his new black suit with a single red rose in his buttonhole.

'You ready buddy?' he asked, picking up Rufus' jacket and holding it up.

'Yeah, I'm a little nervous but that's to be expected I guess.' Rufus replied, adjusting his tie one last time and slipping into his jacket.

'No doubt on that, I was nervous as hell when I married Mel. I'll be right there beside you to help you when you need it. Come on, everyone 's waiting for you.' Aloysius grinned, fixing Rufus' collar and making sure he looked perfect.

'Okay, let's do this. Stick close Boss, I really need your support here.' Rufus replied as they headed downstairs and out onto the shared backyard.

Mel smiled softly as she looked at the stunning figure Emily cut in her pale blue dress. The bodice was fitted to her delicate curves, leaving her arms bare to show off her perfect tan. The skirt was full and yet delicate and light, keeping with the summery feeling of the wedding.

'I can't believe I'm finally getting hitched.' Emily grinned, bouncing lightly in her new shoes.

'Calm down Emily, over-excitement is just as dangerous as nerves right now. He's not going to run off now; he loves you deeply and wants to spend the rest of his life with you. You don't have anything to worry about, he wants you to share his life.' Mel soothed, picking up the veil and lightly setting it into position.

'I want to be with him too. Come on, it's almost time.' Emily grinned, picking up her posy of red roses and heading for the door. Andrew was all dressed up to match his father, the ring pillow clutched lightly in his hands.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Everyone turned to look as the music started playing and Emily walked into view, Mel and Andrew in front of her. The gathering seemed to hold their breath as she glided up the aisle with her father, a tall stocky railwayman. They had decided to go for a completely causally wedding with no mention of religion anywhere.

'Friends and family of Emily Anderson and Rufus McKenzie, we are gathered here today to witness the glorious union of this man and woman. If there is anyone here who believes this union should not happen, speak now or forget it.' the minister announced, smiling warmly at the group seated in front of him. When no one spoke he continued.

'Rufus and Emily have elected to write their own vows for this occasion, Rufus if you would start.' Aloysius quickly nudged Rufus, forcing the taller man forward slightly.

'Emily, as you know, it is difficult for me to express my feelings in front of others, especially my very private feelings for you. But, here today as I stand in the presence of our family and friends, I want to publicly declare my love for you. And why do I love you so much? I love you because you are the finest person I have ever known; you are unselfish; loving; gentle; loyal; tender; trustworthy; sympathetic; and a joy to be with. Your laughter, your smile and your unfailing optimism buoy me, lift me and make me a better person. How can I be so blessed as to be loved by you? What could I have ever done in my lifetime to deserve such a treasure? It is a great mystery. My heart overflows with my love for you and I give myself to you unreservedly today as your faithful husband and I promise to treasure always, just as I do at this moment. I give you this ring as a permanent sign of my undying love, wear it with pride and joy from this day until the end of time.' he recited, taking the ring that Aloysius held out to him and gently sliding it onto her hand. The rose gold of the band looked resplendent against her skin and the three dark blue sapphires and four diamonds added just the perfect amount of shine to the ring.

'Rufus, today I choose you to be my life partner and I do it proudly and openly in the presence of these witnesses. I promise to love you always, to listen to you, to nourish you with my praise, to never take you for granted, to hold you close when you need to be held, to laugh with you when you laugh and to always be your safe haven in this life. I will be faithful to you, even as we grow old together and our bodies' age, even when we face financial problems. I will love you truly and joyfully from this moment on, and I promise this from my heart, with my soul and until death parts us. I give you this ring as a permanent sign of my undying love, wear it with pride and joy from this day until the end of our time.' Emily smiled softly as Mel placed the second ring in her hand. This one was just plain stainless steel, at least that meant it would be relative safe from damage.

'Then here, with all these people as witnesses, I am proud to present Mr and Mrs Rufus McKenzie. You may now kiss the bride.' with those words, Rufus carefully enfolded Emily in his arms and kissed her, smiling at the joyous applause from all his gathered friends and family.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

The reception was held in the main room of the McKenzie household, food flowing from the kitchen and piling up on the old wooden dining suite Rufus' parents had brought with them. It had an amazing family history and Rufus was proud to have it sitting in his dining room.

Almost everyone was gathered in the living/dining room and when Rufus got to his feet, his mother and mother-in-law quickly joined the group. He smiled softly and looked around the group before clearing his throat and grinning.

'My friends and family - This is the happiest day of my life, and what is making it so, is the lovely lady right beside me. I am not very good at putting words to my feelings, but I will try. To Aloysius, my deepest gratitude for keeping me organised and making sure I had everything needed to make the day go off smoothly. I would like to toast my bride. Emily, I have never told you this before, but that first time I met you, in that classroom, something happened inside my head. It was like a soft voice whispering to me over and over: 'she's the one - she's the one.' and you were. I'm so glad we found each other. We may have had a rocky start but I know that no matter how hard life gets, I made the right choice. You are the one perfect woman for me. To my darling bride.' everyone drank and Emily went slightly red, getting to her feet and grasping his hand, giving it a light squeeze.

'I'm still struggling to wrap my head around the fact I'm here, standing proud beside this handsome man. Things may have been a little rough from the start but as I stand here today with this amazing man at my side, I know I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. Many thanks go to Mel for giving me a swift kick when I needed it during the past few days. I know of only one other family where I have felt as welcome as I do right here, sharing a communal home with Aloysius and Mel, that family is my own and I am deeply touched that you all came here to stand by me. I think that's everyone…oh wait, I almost forgot, here's to my dearest husband.' that last comment earned her a few laughs as the group drank again before sitting down to a wonderful meal of cold roasted meats and warm vegetables.

Rufus should have known better than to seat his father next to Aloysius but he only realised his mistake when his father decided that childhood stories were a good idea.

'If you think Rufus was a wild man in the army, you obviously haven't heard some of his best moments.' he started, eyes sparkling with mischief.

'Dad, don't do it. I'm begging you.' Rufus broke in, eyes widening just slightly.

'Harold, this is not the time.' his mother added, nudging her husband lightly.

'Nonsense Mary, there's always time for a few childhood memories. For instance, Rufus, do you remember little Anna Campbell?' Harold couldn't resist having a dig, and the alcohol wasn't helping him keep his mouth shut.

'Dad, don't go there. Anna Campbell is in the past, where she belongs.' Toby, Rufus' younger brother, warned as he reached over and stole his father's wine glass, quickly replacing it with coke.

'Rufus, I've seen you in all manner of situations, good and bad. I've seen you fall and been there to haul you back to your feet. We've shared a lot of stories and memories. You can tell me anything Rufus, you know that.' Aloysius tried, loosening his tie and relaxing back in his chair.

'Yeah, I know that Aloysius but Anna Campbell is someone I really hate talking about. She's part of the reason I had so much trouble with the nurses on base. It's not something to discuss in front of children and ladies.' Rufus replied, idly swirling his wine around in his glass.

With that crisis dissolved for the moment, Toby quickly switched seats with Aloysius, pinning his father between his mother and himself.

'Friends - Welcome to you all. They tell me that marriage is a good thing. I've thought about that a lot. Certainly, if it weren't for marriage, husbands and wives would have to argue with strangers! …But seriously though. When Rufus asked me to be his Best Man, I was shocked to say the least, but he's my friend and we'll stick together no matter what. Emily and Rufus remind me of the story about the princess and the frog! Unfortunately though, no matter how many times she kisses him, he doesn't turn into a prince. Never mind Emily, keep trying! But honestly, this marriage will have nothing but good ramifications for everyone, and on behalf of my wife and our children, I welcome you to our extended family. There are so many people who've been working behind the scenes on this massive undertaking and I'd just like to mention a few. To Mary McKenzie and Claire Knight, many thanks for making sure the backyard was in perfect order and the flowers were right where they needed to be on time and in perfect order. Harold McKenzie and Donald Knight, many thanks for the extra furniture, I'm sure it will come through extremely handy. But honestly, this marriage will have nothing but good ramifications for everyone…here's to the bride and groom.' Aloysius grinned, raising his glass to the happy couple. Sharon, Rufus' younger sister, was the next to stand, grinning slightly at her brother.

'I really don't know what to say, but here goes, the brain is a wonderful thing. It never stops working from the time you are born until the time you have to make a speech. I may have only known Emily for eighteen months, but I know that she will fit in perfectly with our family. Please allow me to pass these blessings onto you. May you have warm words on a cold evening, A full moon on a dark night. May the roof above you never fall in, And the friends gathered below never fall out. May you never be in want, And always have a soft pillow for your heads. May you be 40 years in heaven, Before the devil knows you're dead. May you be poor in misfortunes, rich in blessings, Slow to make enemies, and quick to make friends. But be you rich or poor, quick or slow, May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward. I think that sums it all up pretty well, but just on that note, best wishes fair couple. And I know that everyone's best wishes are with you from now until eternity.' she added, her smile warming as she turned to her brother and new sister-in-law and raised her glass, keeping eye contact as she drank.

Rufus grinned as his mother nodded in his direction, letting him know that desert was ready and in position.

'I would like to ask everyone back into the backyard for the cutting of the cake. Just like everything else in my life, this is going to be something a little different.' Rufus called, slinging his arm around Emily's shoulder as they headed for the door.

A great gasp of surprise went up from the group as they gathered in the yard and admired the oversized Bombe Alaska sitting on the outdoor setting. Emily grinned as she walked over and grabbed the brandy bottle beside it, unscrewing the cap and pouring the contents over the cake. Rufus was next to approach and he dug his battered old Zippo from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment, the familiar insignia of the 160th SOAR looking back at him.

'Just before I light the Bombe, a moment silence for those who haven't yet come home and for those who can't return to loved ones.' Rufus added, thumb lightly tracing over the insignia he had flown under for years as several faces rose to the front of his mind. Among them was his old co-pilot, Tony Anderson. He had been killed only days after the horror crash that had ended his own career. Rufus took comfort in the fact that Tony would never have seen the shot coming and had died quickly, following his chopper faultlessly into the netherworlds. Aloysius was also remembering someone he called friend, Tobias 'Crackshot' Johnson. He had been the best sniper on the base so in a way it was ironic he was killed by another sniper but it was a relief that he had never known it was coming and had died instantly, his third eye bleeding into the sand.

All eyes were on him as Rufus reached out and lit the Bombe, Emily snuggling up against his side again.

'I'm glad I found you Rufus. You make my life whole and that's all I could ever ask of you.' she uttered, staring into the flames licking around the cake.

'I love you so much Em, I just wish I could be home more.' he replied, kissing her hair softly.

'Rufus, when I agreed to marry you, I accepted the fact you would be on the road a lot. I miss you terribly but I know how bored you would be if you didn't have the open road as a mistress.' she added, smiling up at him as the last flames died out and they cut the cake amid camera flashes and easy conversations.


	11. Chapter 11

Even after spending a month in Canada, neither man was completely ready for the numbing cold and the long hours they were facing. The Kenworth was all ready for the adventure that lay ahead and they had a sleeper full of warm clothes and easy to prepare food. All the creature comforts of home had been installed, including a small TV and a microwave. There was even a special plug for their laptop, which meant they could keep in touch with their families back in California.

'Come on Rufus, let's get everything finalised and join the rest of the guys for the drug tests.' Aloysius grinned, setting his travel mug close to hand and firing up the engine.

'Sounds like a plan to me. We probably should try and keep a low profile this year, doubt these guys would appreciate being shown up by a couple of rookies.' Rufus agreed; adjusting his knee brace and making sure everything was ready for the last leg of their journey to Yellowknife.

'You're probably right there but we've got to move the loads as fast as we can, otherwise there's no point being here.' Aloysius chuckled softly as the rig roared to life and they pulled out.

'I'm not saying that we don't make an effort, just that we shouldn't go chasing any records this year.' Rufus added with a shrug.

'Agreed, we don't want to make a bad reputation for ourselves our first year on the ice road.' Aloysius nodded and swapped CDs, hands tapping out the beat on the steering wheel.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Knight pulled up at the end of the line and shut down, landing lightly in the snow.

'Check that front tarp Rufus, I'll get the belly tarp.' he called, grabbing a spare tarp from the external storage locker and flicking it out on the ground. Shuddering at the thought, he settled on the ground and slid under the rig, the tarp not quite making it all the way under. He worked quickly to resecure the belly tarp, not wanting to lose any heat and keep the water away from the engine.

'You okay under there Boss, need any help?' Rufus asked, lashing the front tarp down and opening the three small vents to allow for airflow.

'Yeah, I'm fine. It's cold on the back but I'm almost done. We gotta keep your knee out of the cold as much as possible.' Aloysius replied, securing the tarp back into place and double-checking all the knots.

'Would you look at the rookies.' someone called from nearby.

'You got a problem with a couple of guys wanting to take a crack?' Rufus asked, leaning lightly against the side as Aloysius wriggled out and sat up, shaking the snow off his back.

'No, just don't expect anyone to support you when you realise you can't make it.' their fellow driver warned, watching them closely.

'We're not expecting anything but don't discount us yet. Sure, rookies might drop out frequently but we're not normal rookies. Just wait and see, come on Rufus.' Knight replied with a shrug, getting to his feet and heading for the drug tests, Rufus trailing along behind him.

Everyone turned to look as Rufus and Aloysius entered the building. No one had expected such a pair, their faces showing nothing that was normally present on rookies faces.

'I'm Jay, who might you be?' one of the guys asked, stepping forward.

'I'm Aloysius and this is my second, Rufus. Together, we drive Alley Kat, the deep blue Kenworth sitting out there with the Blackhawk on the drivers side and the American flag painted on the passenger's side. You'll know it as soon as you see it. One thing you won't see is us stopped for the night. We'll drive and sleep in shifts.' Knight replied, shaking Jay's hand warmly.

'You're cocky for a pair of rookies. You really think you can keep up?' another driver asked, leaning lightly on the wall.

'We were trained to always keep up. A life in the army followed by a few years driving out of Alameda, we've learned our lessons well. A pilot always needs to be there when he's needed and sometimes before. We'll keep up, no fear there.' Rufus added, resting his knee as he settled in the nearest chair.

'If you're pilots, why aren't you flying supplies instead?' a third asked and as Aloysius turned to regard them, he was stunned to find a woman standing behind him, completely at ease amongst the other drivers.

'I'm not a pilot - I was in Special Forces. Rufus was a pilot but he's not allowed to take to the air anymore, not since he was wounded in action and sent home. We're ready for the cold, the deserts aren't hot all day and all night.' Aloysius explained with a slight shrug, glancing over at Rufus as he resettled his knee brace and rubbed the area vigorously.

'You gonna be okay?' an older driver asked as he returned to the group.

'Yeah, I'll be fine. I've been living with this knee for nineteen months now and I'm not going to let a little cold stop me. Aloysius may do more of the securing and running around, but I'll pull my weight.' Rufus grinned, getting to his feet and heading for the bathroom.

'He's a tough guy to keep down, wouldn't hear of staying home this year. He's got a young wife at home, only been married three months. Rufus is dependable and resilient, no matter what you throw at him, he'll find a way to overcome any challenge and come out on top.' Aloysius added, smiling warmly.

'He's important to you, isn't he?' Jay asked as Rufus returned and sat down.

'Hell yeah, I owe Rufus my life. He's pulled my ass out of the fire more times than I can count.' Aloysius replied as he headed for the test.

'He's not wrong there but there's been times where he's saved my ass in return. I used to have a lot of problems with bullying, despite my appearance. He protected me, stood up for me and taught me to fight for myself before he headed home. If not for Aloysius, I wouldn't be here to run the road with him, it'd be lying in a box in Arlington, there's no doubt.' Rufus added, smiling slightly.

'Come on Rufus, we've got the all clear to head out. Let's get Alley Kat finished and we can head over to NUNA to see what the conditions are.' Aloysius called, yanking his gloves on as Rufus got to his feet.

'Was good talking to ya'll, we'll see ya on the road.' Rufus grinned and walked out, arm slung companionably around Knight's shoulders.

'I've got a good feeling about that pair. They've got the guts and determination to make it on the road.' Alex remarked, watching them walk away with a fond look in his eyes.

'They'd better keep up, I'm not gonna carry them if they break down.' Hugh replied, also watching them, completely relaxed in their frozen environment.

'You don't need to. I've already told NUNA I'll look after them. If they fail, it comes back on me to get them back on track. Load counts don't matter as much as keeping the guys alive and on the road, hopefully for more than a single season. You deal with your rookies, I'll handle mine.' Alex corrected, smiling slightly.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Driving third in a convoy of five, Aloysius made short work of securing their first ever load on the Ice Road. They were hauling 10,000 pounds of mining supplies 300 miles to the BHP-Ekati mine. Alex had promised to look after them and keep them on the road as much as he could. They had heard plenty of stories about accidents and mechanical issues but they refused to be daunted. Rufus was taking the first shift behind the wheel since Aloysius had driven the last leg to Yellowknife.

'Alley Kat, you ready?' Alex asked as he pulled out, the rest of the convoy joining him. Rufus looked out the window for Aloysius and grinned as he jumped in, tossing his gloves behind his seat.

'Yeah, we're ready. Load is secure and ready to move.' he replied, throwing the rig into gear and pulling out, taking their place in the line. Alex chuckled and led the group out, making sure Alley Kat was always right where he needed to be and never strayed to close to anyone else.

The group made it through the Ingram Trail without problem and hit the ice, always keeping their half-mile gap between trucks.

'I still find it hard to believe you were bullied Rufus, whoever did that must have had a death wish.' Alex remarked, totally relaxed with the rookies behind him.

'Believe it Alex, I copped hell. The occasional beating, nurses getting out of hand and a whole lot of untraceable shit. I never knew exactly who, just which groups were involved.' Rufus replied, passing Aloysius the handset as he completely left the third portage and eased onto the ice, skidding slightly.

'Slow and steady Rufus, you're getting the hang of the ice.' Peter - a second year driver - added from his position behind them.

'He'll hold her upright, he's had some practise on ice before.' Aloysius grinned as Rufus eased the rig back on a straight path with no loss of traction or potential accidents.

'You're pretty good at the wheel; hopefully we'll see more of your driving skills. I'll bet you drive like you flew.' Alex broke in, his voice full of interest and a faint touch of wonder.

'Nope, I flew like you wouldn't believe. I'm still a baby in a rig but I was a master of the air. Driving hasn't provided any real challenge for me, at least not yet. There were times I was flying night missions in complete black out with nothing but night vision goggles, a map and a compass to guide me to the DZ. Ice and snow against sand and bullets, it's all the same to me. I see it as a job and a way to make a life, if it challenges me, so be it.' Rufus sighed, glancing up at the sky briefly before getting his mind back on task and trailing faultlessly behind Alex and Tommy, a third year driver. Aloysius got to his feet and busied himself making coffees, squeezing Rufus' shoulder lightly in comfort.

'I'll find a way to get you back in the air, somehow. Someday, you will fly again.' he uttered as he grabbed Rufus' travel mug.

'I hope so Boss, I really do. I don't belong on the ground, the air is my place.' Rufus replied, switching CD's and turning up the volume. He had to get his past out of his mind and think only of his present. Distraction could get them both killed and he wasn't going to let that happen, not after everything he'd been told by the older drivers.

Aloysius spotted the look in Rufus' eyes as he handed over the coffee and returned to his seat.

'What's on your mind Ruf?' he asked, smiling softly.

'Just thinking of what I left behind. I can't let go of the air and the pure adrenaline of flying.' Rufus replied, grinning at Aloysius while his hands tapped out the beat of the music.

'That why you brought this along?' Aloysius chuckled, picking up Rufus' duffle bag from where it was stashed and opening it, pulling out his old flight helmet. It was battered and scared, showing signs of years of tough missions.

'Yeah, figured it'll keep my head warm when worn over the cap Emily made for me. Call me what you want but I've figured out a way to connect my helmet to the radio system in here.' Rufus replied with a slight smile.

'I'm not calling you anything, if you think it'll work then go ahead. I've got nothing against you holding onto your past, hell, I did.' Aloysius replied as he got to his feet again and dug a small bag out of a storage locker. He pulled out his old shirt, his rank bars just visible on the sleeves. He also had his favourite pair of combat boots and a small baggie filled with small metal fragments.

'What's with the frag?' he asked, cocking an eyebrow with a faint smile.

'Memories mostly, Tim used to keep them for me after every time I had them removed. I still wear my tags too, once a soldier, always a soldier.' Aloysius chuckled, the familiar weight of his tags resting against his chest.

'I hear ya there, haven't taken them off since the crash. Tony grabbed a few souvenirs from my bird after the crash, they should be in there too, along with my flight suit and boots.' Rufus grinned, totally relaxed as he followed the road, eyes locked on the rear of the air heaters on Tommy's trailer. Aloysius smiled warmly as he set Rufus' helmet on the central console before packing everything else up and returning the two bags to their rightful places.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Rufus was drained when they finally reached the Ekati mine and pulled up in a neat line, the Northern Lights dancing overhead.

'Knew you wouldn't let us down Alley Kat. You've done the whole Ice Road in that trip and I hope to see you on a lot more loads.' Alex grinned as he walked over to them.

'Now that we know what we're up against and have done out first run, we're not going anywhere until the season ends. We don't quit just because it gets hard.' Rufus replied, helping Aloysius release the tie-down straps.

'That's good to hear, we get a lot of rookies dropping out every year.' Tommy added, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

'We never quit, no matter what we get thrown out way. That's not the army way and it's not our way.' Aloysius replied, yanking the last strap loose and quickly bundling them up. They stashed all the gear before joining the gathered drivers; Aloysius dug that old leather pouch from his pocket.

'Treat yourself Boss, you deserve it.' Rufus chuckled, offering him a tailor-made.

'Guess I have earned it. I'll roll you one later.' he replied, returning the pouch to his pocket and taking the offered cigarette.

'Fair swap. What are you staring at now?' Rufus asked, turning to look at the guys standing behind them.

'Just never heard someone call his best friend Boss, that's all.' Peter explained with a faint shrug.

'Been doing that ever since Aloysius stood up for me the first time. It's respect, nothing more. Besides, it's his truck and his livelihood. I'm the co-driver, at least until I get my own rig.' Rufus chuckled; catching the lighter Aloysius flicked his way and lighting up, watching the load vanishing off their rig.


	12. Chapter 12

Aloysius stretched out on his bunk with a contented sigh, a warm smile on his face. Rufus was taking a spin behind the wheel again; giving him a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep. He made for an interesting sight settled behind the wheel, his old flight helmet settled snugly on his head as if nothing had ever changed. This time they were hauling 22,000 pounds of diamond processing sand to the Diavik mine, a trip of 275 miles. The music hammering from the CD player did little to hold back the exhaustion hanging at the corners of Knight's mind as he pulled the blankets up and drifted off to sleep, that smile still on his handsome features. Rufus looked back at him with a grin before forcing his eyes back onto the road, singing along with the music but his mind was totally on the job at hand.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a familiar voice on the airwaves.

'Hey Alley Kat, you awake?' Jay asked, his tone light and relaxed.

'Half, Knight's sleeping. What's on your mind Jay?' Rufus chuckled, his new helmet rig working perfectly.

'Nothing much, just trying to pass the time. Flick over to your private channel.' Jay replied before cutting the connection. Rufus tapped one of the buttons on the box at his belt, switching the channels and grinning.

'Got a joke for you Jay…have you heard about the new blonde paint?' Rufus knew this was an old favourite of Tony's and he kept it as a small reminder of his brave friend.

'Nope, can't say I have. What's so special about it?' Jay asked, a definite hint of amusement in his voice.

'It's not real bright but it's cheap and easy to spread.' that got a decent snort of laughter but he knew he could do better.

'Not bad but try this one on for size…Howard had felt guilty all day long. No matter how much he tried to forget about it, he couldn't. The guilt and sense of betrayal was overwhelming. But every once in a while he'd hear that small inner voice trying to reassure him, "Howard. Don't worry about it. You aren't the first doctor to sleep with one of your patients and you won't be the last.". But invariably the other voice would bring him back to reality, "Howard. You're a veterinarian.".' Jay replied and Rufus knew he'd been out done with that one.

'I'll give you that one Jay my friend. Aloysius knows a few good ones but I'm not going to wake him for the sake of a joke or two. He's been pushing hard ever since we hit the road for the first day.' Rufus grinned, glancing in the mirror to check on Aloysius.

'We've all noticed just how hard he's been pushing. You really should see about getting him to relax before he burns out.' Jay warned, suddenly completely serious.

'I'm not gonna push the issue but I will take more loads for myself. This knee makes it hard to get around but I'm getting the hang of managing it in this cold weather. This is one hell of a learning curve, for both of us.' Rufus sighed, checking in on Aloysius again before lighting up.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Aloysius was still sleeping when Rufus pulled into Diavik and jumped down, untying the load. The wireless transmitter between his helmet and the radio in the cab kept him in the loop as he rolled each strap and rope up before tossing them into the storage locker.

'All trucks, call in and let us know of your location. A severe storm is rolling in from the north.' one of the guys from dispatch called, sounding alarmed.

'0714 unloading at Diavik. What's the situation?' Rufus replied, releasing the last tie-down strap and tossing it over.

'We've got a serious storm blowing in from the Artic Circle. Looks like we're in for a rough couple days. We'll keep you updated on the situation.' he replied before cutting the connection to keep checking on the rest of the drivers.

He was still thinking about the storm as he returned to the cab and pulled away, heading for the other rigs waiting out the storm.

'What'd I miss?' Aloysius groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

'Just unloaded the processing sand and heading for the waiting bay. There's a severe storm heading in and it looks like sticking around for a couple days.' Rufus explained, joining the rest of the guys in the line before turning to Aloysius.

'Any word from James, Kelly or the Jacobson boys?' Aloysius asked, getting up and switching on the kettle.

'Haven't heard a peep from anyone since the storm was reported in to me. Tried radioing all four but there's been nothing back, I'm starting to worry. James was heading for Ekati, Kelly to De Beers-Snap Lake and the Jacobson brothers were running to Diavik too. They only left three trucks after us, I don't understand why they aren't responding.' Rufus sighed and slumped on his bunk, gazing out the windscreen, desperately hoping their friends would be okay.

A few miles out of Diavik, the older of the Jacobson brothers, Zeke, tried desperately to see the lights of the mine up ahead.

'Anything yet Big Z?' his younger twin, Zach, asked, voice full of nervous tension.

'Can't see a thing yet Little Z but don't worry, we'll arrive safe.' Zeke replied, reaching for the handset again. 'Alley Kat, this is Big Z, do you copy? Big Z to Alley Kat, do you read?' he tried again, squinting through the snowfall in another attempt to find the turnoff.

Back at the waiting bay, Rufus and Aloysius both snapped to look as Zeke's voice came across the airwaves.

'We read you Big Z, good to hear your voice. Where are you?' Rufus asked even as he jumped down and started unhooking the trailer.

'We're looking for the turnoff to Diavik. What about you?' Zeke replied, his voice tight and strained.

'We're in the waiting yard at Diavik. Watch for our lights, we're coming for you.' Rufus grinned as he finished the unhitching and hurried back to the cab.

'Copy that Alley Kat, we're more than ready to get out of this storm.' Zeke agreed, hope slowly returning to his voice. Rufus nodded and pulled away, gunning it away from the other rigs.

'0714, where are you going?' the transport manager from the mine asked, slightly concerned.

'0708 and 0709 are struggling to find the turnoff so we're gonna light the way for them. We'll be safe and out of danger.' Rufus replied, heading along the road to find the young brothers.

They hit the turnoff just as Zeke and Zach approached, lights piercing the darkness.

'We've got you boys, just keep coming, we'll light the corner.' Rufus announced, hitting the lights and turning the darkness into day as the two matching rigs swung around the bend and headed towards them.

'Couldn't have found our way without you Alley Kat, thanks for that.' Zach called, a faint grin in his voice.

'You're the youngest guys on the road, of course we're gonna look after you. Any word from Kelly or James?' Rufus asked, swinging around and pulling in behind Zach.

'Nothing at all from either, sorry Rufus. Kelly had a shorter run; she should be tucked up safely in the waiting bay at De Beers-Snap Lake. It's James we need to be worrying about.' Zeke sighed, heading for the unloading zone. Aloysius groaned softly and rose to stand beside Rufus.

'Zach and Zeke are safe now; we should really try to find James. I called back to NUNA and Kelly finally reported in, she's safe at De Beers. James on the other hand still hasn't arrived at Ekati, he's two hours late and the storm is about to hit the BHP-Ekati mine. We need to make a choice and act quickly.' he stated, gazing out towards the road and their missing friend.

'Big Z, do you read?' Rufus called, his mind made up.

'Yeah Alley Kat, what's the problem?' Zeke asked, backing in to unload.

'I want you and Zach to stay here where it's safe; we're heading out to look for James. He's two hours late to Ekati and the storm is about to hit that particular mine. Don't worry about us, we've survived worse than this.' Rufus explained, swapping seats and giving Aloysius the wheel.

'Be careful out there Rufus, we'll be waiting for your triumphant return. Bring him home safe.' Zeke replied before cutting the connection. Rufus nodded as Aloysius pulled out, setting the lights to the perfect level to give the best light without diffusing it too much.

'0714, now where are you going?' there was the transport manager again.

'Rescue mission - 0817 is lost in the storm and we're gonna find him. We've done this kind of thing hundreds of times together, just not in the snow.' Aloysius replied shortly as they pulled away and headed into the darkness in search of their missing friend.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

They were almost at Ekati and already struggling against the storm when Rufus spotted the familiar paint job of James' rig.

'There Boss, his rig.' he called, pointing it out in the gloom. Aloysius nodded and swung the Kenworth around; backing up to the front of James' damaged Mack.

'You check on James while I hook up. We've got to get out of this storm and fast.' he ordered, yanking on his gloves.

'I'll ride with James, he's probably badly shaken and freezing cold. Head for Ekati, it's our only hope.' Rufus agreed; jumping down and heading around their truck, one hand on the rig at all times until he reached the stricken Mack and climbed up.

James was slumped in his seat, shivering badly with a minor cut on his forehead.

'Rufus, that you?' he stammered, blinking slowly at the man mountain.

'Yeah James, we're both here. Aloysius is gonna hitch up and tow you and your load to safety in Ekati. How you holding up?' Rufus asked, checking him for any other injuries.

'I'll manage but the load is stuck well and truly. Already tried three times to shift these damned wheel motors but they won't budge.' James replied with a slight shrug. Rufus nodded and yanked his jacket off, wrapping it firmly around James' shoulders.

'Boss, we've got two wheel motors on the trailers and three attempts to move off have failed. James is conscious but cold and suffering minor injuries. We need to move ASAP.' Rufus reported, getting James to his feet and taking him through to the sleeper.

'We're hitched up but I need someone to give me power from his rig. Damage looks minor but we'll see.' Aloysius replied, shivering slightly.

'Got it covered, James is in his berth so I'll take the wheel. On your count Boss.' Rufus agreed, taking a seat and firing up the engine.

'On three, give me full power and let's get moving. 1…2…3!' the two trucks roared as they floored it and slowly, inch by painful inch, the battered Mack rolled free and pulled away from the bank it was stuck in. The trailer gave them a little more trouble but they soon had it free as well.

'Hold it there, I'll check the load.' Rufus called, jumping down and racing back. He checked each rope, chain and strap carefully before returning to the cab. 'All good still, let's get the hell out of here.' he added, gunning the engine and giving Knight all the power. Slowly they pulled away and headed up the last three miles to the mine.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Neither driver could keep in the holler of delight as they turned into Ekati and headed down the road.

'0714 supporting 0817. James is suffering from the cold and has sustained minor injuries.' Knight reported in, relief flooding his voice. They'd made it safely to Ekati without losing the load or getting into trouble again.

'It's good to hear from you 0817; we were about to risk a search for you. No one likes being out in winter storms.' someone replied as the rigs rumbled up and pulled in at the unloading point.

'We weren't worried about the risks, just our friend. Everyone else gave up but not us; we're tougher than that. I need the medical team here, now.' Rufus added, cutting the engine and heading back to James.

'They're on their way as we speak. There's hot showers, fresh meals and soft beds for you all as soon as you're ready.' he replied as three people came running over to the rigs. Rufus grinned and opened the door, helping James down and wrapping another blanket around him.

'You've done well, not many guys are willing to risk their lives in a storm for anyone else.' the woman grinned as they hustled James away and inside.

'Come on Rufus, we've earned a break. Once we're unloaded we can park with the others and head inside.' Aloysius called, running over with a spare jacket.

'The sooner the better, a hot shower is too good to pass up.' he replied, pulling the jacket on and lighting up as the wheel motors were unloaded.

All the drivers in the place turned to look as Rufus and Knight finally joined them and slumped into the nearest chairs.

'I knew there was something special about you two. We heard about what you did for the Jacobson boys and they told us to be on the lookout for you.' Alex grinned as he set a hot chocolate in front of each exhausted man.

'We're nothing special, just two guys who look out for their friends. We did what was right, without thought of the dangers. It needed to be done so we went out and did it. Anyone radioed back to Diavik and told them we're okay?' Aloysius replied, smiling softly as he sipped the warming drink and relaxed slightly.

'Yeah, Tommy Johnson did. The Jacobson boys were relieved, as was everyone else who heard. You may not think you're anything special but you are and that's rare up here. Most guys are only interested in the money, not the friendships.' Karen grinned, indicating a dumpy guy sitting in one corner.

'The money's good but life isn't worth living if not for the friends we make along the way. I know my life has been enriched through my friendship with Aloysius.' Rufus added, settling back in his chair and sipping his chocolate contentedly.

'Gotta agree with you there Rufus, life would suck if I didn't know you.' Aloysius chuckled softly as he turned to his friend, looking every inch the pilot he once was, except for the snow on his boots and the bulky winter clothes instead of his flight suit.

They finished their drinks in companionable silence before rising and grabbing their bags, heading for the showers and then bed.

'We should check in on James before we get some sleep.' Rufus suggested as they entered two of the cubicles and set the water running.

'Yeah, but let's get warmed up first. Besides, I haven't felt this dirty since we were on active combat duty together.' Aloysius agreed, stripping off and stepping under the hot spray with a delighted sigh.

'I hear ya there, but I'd rather the alcohol and engine grease to the bullets and danger we faced back there. Oh that water feels good.' Rufus groaned, the heat soaking into all his tired and aching muscles and soothing the pain in his knee.

~~#*+*+*#^^^#*+*+*#~~

Clean and refreshed, they checked in on James to find him sleeping peacefully before retreating to their own beds to catch a few hours sleep. Both had plans to head out as soon as they were given the all clear but they both had different plans on where to go. Aloysius wanted to head straight back to Yellowknife from Ekati while Rufus felt they should head for Diavik first and grab their discarded trailer before heading back to Yellowknife.

'If we leave the trailer, someone's eventually gonna have to come back and get it. We're heading past so we might as well take it on the way.' Rufus commented, hanging up his jacket before pulling back the covers.

'True enough but if we don't make it back with plenty of time to spare, you'll be driving in the dark and I know how much you hate that.' Aloysius grinned, also settling in for the night.


End file.
